Nafarius smiled, brushed his cheek across the top of her head. "We gain strength from the bond as well. We can draw on each other should we need it, use the other's speed and strength. It makes us damn hard to kill."
"That's comforting," she said and nipped at his neck.
Tipping his head back, Nafarius exposed his throat - something he'd never done with another werewolf. "Regrets?"
Sam shook her head. "No, but it will take some getting used to."
"Time is something we have plenty of," he said, and kissed her.
SAM WAS SLIPPING into a pair of jeans when she felt it. Fear, panic and anger buzzed across the surface of the pack bond followed swiftly by Nafarius' rage.
Dropping her shoes, she hurried outside.
Men and women milled about, low voices murmuring back and forth, everyone talking at once.
Sam pushed her way forward, the crowd parting swiftly. Reaching the center, she found Nafarius pacing angrily, an obviously injured Marcus giving his report. "What happened?" she asked.
Nafarius looked up at the sound of her voice. "Marcus was attacked."
"By whom?"
"One of Dimitri's men." Nafarius stopped pacing. "Were you able to deliver my message?"
Marcus shook his head. "I never made it that far. They attacked before I reached their territory."
"They?" Nafarius asked, his voice deceptively mild.
"There were two of them," Marcus said, wincing.
"Here, sit." Sam led Marcus to a nearby chair. "Maddie, what do we have in the way of medical supplies?"
"Not much," she said, "we rarely need it."
"I'll be alright," Marcus said, smiling slightly. "I just need a bit more time to heal."
Nafarius eyed Marcus, noting the way the young man held his side. "Broken ribs?"
Marcus nodded. "At least three, it's what slowed me down coming back. I didn't want to puncture a lung."
"Well, I guess we have our answer." Roland said.
"Where were you when they attacked?" Nafarius questioned.
"Neutral ground," Marcus said.
"Did you kill either of them?" The question came from Roland.
"No, some serious damage but they'll both live."
Nafarius nodded.
"Dimitri knew better than to attack on our territory," Roland said. "Otherwise he risks starting a war."
"And no kills eliminates any call he might have for more violence." Nafarius added, pleased with Marcus' restraint.
"But why attack Marcus in the first place?" Sam asked, her eyes shifting from Marcus, to Roland and finally on her mate. "Shit. This is because of me, because you broke your agreement with Dimitri, isn't it?"
Sam turned back to Marcus. "I'm sorry, this is all my fault."
Marcus shook his head. He hadn't been there to witness her change but he recognized her as pack. "It's not your fault, Nafarius offered Dimitri an alternative. Dimitri chose violence over diplomacy."
"He's right," Roland growled. "You were prepared to make amends. Under the circumstances, his attack on Marcus must be seen as an declaration of war..."
"I will not go to war with a neighboring pack over a few bumps and bruises," Nafarius said. He could feel Roland's anger brewing.
"Three broken ribs is more than that." Roland pointed angrily at Marcus. "Marcus could have been killed!"
"If Dimitri had meant to kill Marcus he would be dead." Nafarius was well aware of Dimitri's reputation. The other alpha was violent and unpredictable but he was also smart.
"We can't let an attack on one of ours go unanswered!" said Roland. "I say we..."
"Enough!" Nafarius roared. "I will not wage a war just to appease your guilt."
Roland jerked back as if slapped.
"Nafarius," Sam said quietly.
Nafarius ignored his mate. "I know you're pissed, but Dimitri must be handled carefully. An escalation of violence means losses on
both
sides. I have more than just Marcus to think about," Nafarius said, adding, "It is not your fault that Marcus was hurt."
Roland looked at Marcus, wished that he saw accusation in the young man's eyes instead of understanding. "I should have been the one to go."
"Roland, we all know you don't play well with others." Sam said, pressing gently at the skin around Marcus' ribs. She sent a silent apology along the pack bond when he sucked in a breath of air in pain.
"That's just it," Roland said, ignoring her attempted humor. "Marcus was hurt because of something
I
couldn't do. As beta it is
my
responsibility to act as messenger..."
"If I wanted a neutered pup for a second I would have picked someone like Craig," Nafarius said, exasperated. "What I need is someone that can stand by me when diplomacy fails. Besides, it was my order that sent Marcus. I'm responsible for what happened."
Roland stood in silent disagreement.
"Roland, why don't you help Maddie get Marcus inside and comfortable so those ribs can heal." Sam said. She gestured Maddie forward. Between her and Roland they were able to get the young man back on his feet and headed inside while the rest of the pack disbursed.
"Now you've got my beta playing nursemaid," Nafarius said, slipping an arm around his mate's waist.
"He feels like he needs to make it up to Marcus," she said, enjoying the feel of Nafarius close. "The question is what do we do now?"
Nafarius raised one amber brow. "We?"
"They're my pack now too," she said. "And despite what you may think or say, I am partially responsible."
"Sam, you had no way of knowing..."
"Yes, I did," Sam said, her tone leaving no room to argue. "I may not have understood all the implications, but I knew your pact with Dimitri was important. But I didn't care," she added in a whisper.
"Would you do anything different?" Nafarius asked.
They'd been mated for mere weeks, were still learning each other. While their bond offered a window into each other, it was often hard to decipher emotions, to know what was exclusive to them and what was pack. Unlike the rest of the pack, Sam didn't share a lifetime of memories with Nafarius and her past was still something they had yet to talk about.
"No, I wouldn't." Sam's reply was swift, immediate, and went a long way to reassuring him. "But you can't absolve me of my responsibility just because you want to protect me from the unattractive side of pack life. You don't need to and what's more, you do us both a disservice when you try."
"It's my job to protect you," Nafarius insisted.
"Perhaps..." Sam started.
"Definitely." Nafarius said.
"...but I told you, all or nothing," she reminded him.
"You didn't mean this," Nafarius wasn't sure Sam understood. Things with Dimitri were going to get bloody.
"You forget how I came to be here," Sam said. "I know first hand the lengths werewolves will go to, protecting their own."
Nafarius was quiet, considering. "You may have a point," he allowed.
Sam's smile was gentle with a bit of if-only-you'd-listened-to-me-in-the-first-place attached. "So, what do we do about Dimitri?"
"For all his posturing, Dimitri doesn't want a war," Nafarius said, brushing his cheek against the top of her head. He needed to touch her, reassure himself that she was safe. Perhaps a run, just the two of them in the moonlight later. "He's outnumbered and outmatched. Still, we'll make regular sweeps of the area, keep the younger and weaker ones close to home."
Sam nodded. "What did you offer him?"
"Hmmm?" Distracted by the feel of his mate in his arms, Nafarius missed Sam's question.
"Marcus said Dimitri chose violence over diplomacy, what did you offer him?" Sam grabbed Nafarius' wrist, stopped his hands from wandering.
"Nothing specific," Nafarius said.
Easily breaking free, he renewed his journey up the slender length of her back, pleased to note that she no longer wore a bra. "I offered reparations, a chance to discuss new terms."
Sam understood the carefully worded message. "You basically offered to let him name terms."
Nafarius shrugged. "Doesn't mean I would have agreed, but yeah."
"He wants the packs, to rule as alpha over both," Sam said, horrified at the thought. She couldn't picture Nafarius answering to another alpha.
"Dimitri is too old to hold such a large, powerful pack as alpha. It's why he sought to make his daughter part of the deal." Nafarius shrugged, more interested in his mate than the other alpha. "It really doesn't matter what he would have demanded, it was about offering Dimitri the chance to save face while symbolically striking at me."
"Hmmm..." Sam let a little sigh escape as Nafarius nuzzled her neck, his mouth brushing the underside of her jaw. "What will you do now?"
"Now? Now I plan on making love to my mate," Nafarius said, his hands slipping from around her waist to cup both breasts. "Unless you have other plans?"
"I'll have to check my calendar," Sam said, laughing when Nafarius bit down gently on her neck.
"I suggest you make yourself available," Nafarius growled. A quick look around found the clearing deserted, everyone having gone about their business leaving the two alphas with a moment of privacy. "Run with me," Nafarius said, stripping off his t-shirt and starting out of his jeans.
Sam took half a step back, watching in appreciation as her mate got naked. She could feel his desire, smell it on the air and knew that it was all for her. "You want me," she said with female confidence.
"Oh yes," Nafarius growled reaching for her.
Laughing, Sam danced out of reach. "Then come and get me!"
Nafarius watched as his mate darted off into the trees, the sound of her laughter telling him in no uncertain terms that she expected him to catch her.
* * *
"What do you do with someone that won't negotiate, won't even engage?" Two weeks had passed since Marcus' attack. Nafarius had sent two more teams with messengers, both consisting of at least two wolves. Both teams were turned back before they got within sight of Dimitri's territory.
Nafarius had tried leaving messages old school style, literal messages in a bottle left for the other alpha on neutral territory. So far, all of the messages remained untouched.
"Perhaps this is his response," Roland offered. "Cutting off negotiations, isolating his pack from the rest of us. He knows we need that land, the resources there are valuable."
"Could he be planning something...?" Sam cut off, her head whipping around towards the den. The next instant she was gone, breaking out into a run.
"Sam? Sam!"
Sam burst into the den, saw Maddie on the floor, one hand cradling her cheek, Rose standing over her, her face an ugly mask of twisted pleasure. She'd caught Maddie's spike of fear and pain at the same time a wave of sick pleasure had come through the pack bond.
Sam launched herself to the other side of the room, scattering members and their belongings. She caught Rose by the throat, lifted her up and slammed her into the wall. Claws burst through her fingertips, breaking the skin and sinking deep. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Sam snarled.
"Get your hands off me!" Rose clawed at the hand around her neck, nails tearing at skin - both hers and Sam's.
Sam tightened her grip, squeezing the woman's windpipe. "I asked you a question."
"The bitch was in my way!" Rose could feel blood running down her neck, the sharp bite of Sam's claws piercing her skin. Unable to break free, she started to shift.
Sam felt Rose shifting beneath her hand. Quickly, she reached out through the pack bond, focused on Rose and cut the woman off from her wolf.
Rose's eyes went impossibly wide, a strangled cry coming from her punctured throat.
"She's
mine
," Sam said and squeezed harder. "Touch her again and I
will
kill you."
Rose couldn't move, couldn't reach her wolf. Panicked, she struggled harder nearly tearing out her own throat in an effort to get free.
"Sam. Sam, let her go. Please, I'm alright." Maddie reached out, touch Sam on her shoulder.
Sam turned her head, growling at the sight of the bruise already forming beneath Maddie's eye. Behind her, the pack stood silent and staring, none of them interested in interfering.
Withdrawing her claws, Sam dropped Rose to the floor. "Get her out of here," she growled, waiting while two of Rose's friends rushed forward to help her up. "She doesn't shift." Shifting sped the healing process. Forced to remain in human form, Rose would take longer to heal and suffer more pain. She would also have the scars to remember it by.
Sam didn't bother watching as Rose was led away. "Come with me." Taking Maddie by the hand, she led her to the room she shared with Nafarius. "Let me see."
"I'm fine," Maddie said, wincing when Sam brushed her fingers across her cheek. "It's just a bruise."
"She could have broke your cheekbone." Rose was strong, almost as strong as Sam. Almost.
"But she didn't and I should have stayed out of her way," Maddie offered.
"That's bullshit and we both know it." Sam took Maddie's face in her hands. Wetting her lips, she brushed them back and forth before pressing a gentle kiss to the bruise. "That should help."
Maddie's hand fluttered hesitantly before settling lightly at Sam's waist.
Sam pulled back but didn't immediately release the young woman's face. Wide blue eyes watched her. Sam didn't need the pack bond to read the invitation. Lowering her head, she brushed a gentle kiss over Maddie's mouth, tasted sweat breath as she sighed softly.
Maddie stepped closer, pressed her body to Sam, offering and asking all at once.
Sam slid her hands into Maddie's hair, held her head immobile as she deepened the kiss. Sweeping her tongue inside, Sam growled in pleasure as Maddie's tongue darted out, tentatively touching it to Sam's. She felt it then, the feedback through the pack bond, knew Maddie wanted Sam to take her.