Secret Worlds (354 page)

I pushed back against his chest. “Baby … later.”

The urgency in his voice teetered on begging. “Promise?”

How could I deny that man? “Yeah. Let me have a hot soak and some aspirin and I’ll be ready and waiting for you.”

“This will be the shortest meeting in the history of the Olde Town.” He pulled back and flashed his devilish grin at me. “Be right back.”

I’d had enough time to read half a romance novel while I soaked in the tub. The hot water, lavender oil, and chamomile really helped to relax my sore muscles. And, thanks to the pain killers, my headache had all but vanished. I felt like a brand-new woman, all hot and ready to enjoy some time with my man. The only problem was, my man was nowhere to be found. That was a little troubling.

For a guy who’d been dead set on getting back for a little romp in the sack, he was certainly taking his time.

I tossed on a pair of jeans and my favorite red UNLV sweatshirt and decided to go for a little walk through the halls. Best case, I’d run into Aiden doing paperwork in the office. Worst case, maybe I could have another chat with Brady and clear the air. He’d been pretty adamant that I needed to just go through with the transition. As antsy as I was, anything was better than sitting in the room wondering what was going on.

It didn’t take me long to run into someone, but it wasn’t who I’d been hoping to see.

The douchy-looking guy, Micah, with the faux hawk stood chatting with Brady at the reception desk in the main lobby. I couldn’t quite make out what they were talking about, but from the dirty looks both of them gave me, it wasn’t a conversation I was welcome to.

Why was Brady giving me hateful eyes?
That bothered me more than the fact he was talking with a guy who I knew was no fan of mine. Brady may not have liked that I wasn’t a wolf, but he generally liked me as a person. I needed to get to the bottom of this.

“Where’s Aiden?” I asked in my most commanding voice as I walked to join the pair.

They ignored me.

I cleared my throat. “I said …”

“We heard you.” Micah stood and sneered. “You can drop the attitude. Your bark doesn’t scare me.”

I was taken aback by his defiance. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Micah’s icy blue eyes matched the coldness of his glare. “It means, human, that I don’t like you, I don’t appreciate your attitude, and I don’t think you’re right for this pack.”

“That’s not for you to decide. Brady, back me up on this.”

Brady heaved a sigh. “Micah, you’re treading on thin ice here.” His tone had all the intensity of a sleeping dog and just as much effect. “She is Aiden’s.”

Beyond the negativity directed toward me, the way they talked made me sound like property and not an equal partner in the relationship. But that was an argument to have on a different day.

“You know I’m right, Brady,” Micah replied. “Don’t be afraid to admit it in front of the human. Aiden is whipped by this human. No offense.”

It was becoming abundantly clear how unhappy various members of the pack and the council were with an outside becoming one of their Alphas.

Micah turned his chilly gaze back in my direction. “And, beyond being a human trying to meddle in the affairs of our pack, you’re also part of that vampire clan.”

“Yes, I am friendly with the vampires, and so what if I am? That vampire clan is part of this pack.” He was grasping at straws if he thought his accusation held water. Turning on your allies is never a good idea. “And if you recall, Alyssa—one of
those
vampires—was the one to rescue Brady when the Acta Sanctorum had him caged like a common dog.”

I looked to Brady for support, but he remained unusually tight-lipped.

“They’ve hurt as much as they’ve helped. And we tolerate them because at times they can be useful. Don’t be so quick to award them any medals of honor. In case you had forgotten, they’re the reason Connor died.”

Brady winced at the mention of his father.

Too soon. Bad idea. Connor’s body had just been laid to rest; now was not the time to dig it back up and drag it into a petty squabble.

“And that vampire Alyssa—do you deny that she is your best friend?” Micah jabbed a finger at me.

“Yeah, Alyssa and I are best friends. So what?”

“So … that means when they gear up to take on the Saints as they’ve been planning to do, who do you think they are going to come to? Us. And of course since the Alpha is mated to their best friend, we’ll all be asked to put our lives on the line … again. Our pack is still in the process of rebuilding. We can’t handle another war. But if Aiden takes you as mate, it’s a guarantee.”

My headache was coming back with a vengeance and my blood pressure started to soar. Now the truth was coming out. His dislike of me had nothing to do with me not being a werewolf. I’d have been willing to bet he’d been the one heading up the ‘committee to force me into being a werewolf’ when I still sat on the fence. Now that I’d agreed, he had to find another way to incite dissension in the pack.

I crossed my arms and tightened my jaw. “So, what are you demanding then? That Aiden and I split up? Will that satisfy the pack, or you?”

Micah waved his hand at me as if batting away a troublesome fly. “Oh, we know that won’t happen. You’re his mate no matter what you are.”

“Then what, Micah? It’s clear that nothing he or I do will please you.”

“Well, if you must know, I think we need new leadership.”

And there it was, the truth! It all boiled down to a power grab, and Micah was the one ready to snatch it up. “And I’m assuming you want to take that role?”

“I have the support of many prominent members of the pack.” He looked over his shoulder to Brady. “I’m a pure wolf. I was born and raised in this pack. I meet all of the criteria, so, yes. I do think I would make a good candidate for Alpha.”

I shot Brady my best
what the fuck
look. “Are you seriously considering this? Backing him instead of your brother?”

Brady held up his hands. “I have not officially given my support to —”

“Hold on,” I interrupted. “Not one day ago, you were pushing me to make the change because you knew Aiden was the right man for the job. Now you’re not so sure? You’re his brother. You have to support him.”

Brady took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he turned to Micah. “He makes a strong argument for the preservation of this pack. We must think of our own right now, while we are weak.”

“And, I have no problem taking any pack female for mate, and issuing in a new generation of Olde Town wolves.” Micah added as if that sealed the deal.

Exasperated, I threw my hands up in the air. He had it all planned out, didn’t he? And Brady! How could he throw his support behind this guy? Official or not, just the thought of him turning against his own brother … It was too much. Before I could say another word, I spotted Diana and Aiden walking up the steps to the glass front doors. They appeared friendly enough, smiling as they talked and walked toward the building. Clearly, his concerns about her had been removed. I wondered what lies she’d spun during our time apart.

Aiden’s hand on her back as he ushered her toward the glass door unnerved me. I know he was just being polite and courteous, but any physical contact set my already-hot blood boiling. If he only knew the truth about her and what had been going on behind his back, he wouldn’t look so happy.

And that Diana chick, I wondered how much involvement she’d had in this? Aiden held the door open for Diana. She walked inside, took off her coat, hung it on the rack, and sauntered over to Micah. He smiled wickedly at her as she threw an arm around his neck.

That confirmed it for me. She was playing to the highest bidder. First Brady, then Aiden, now Micah. Skanky bitch!

“What’s going on here?” Aiden asked, his eyes darting to each of our faces. His jaw tightened as he eyed his brother.

“We’re continuing the discussion you refused to finish,” Micah said.

“There is nothing to discuss. I said the matter is closed.” Aiden’s tone threatened violence.

“Actually, brother,” Brady said, “Micah makes a very valid point. I tried to say this before, but you wouldn’t listen.”

Aiden twitched with anger and spoke through clenched teeth. “You’re siding with him?”

The air suddenly became too thick to breathe. Three dominant males all sending off waves of anger and violence in such close proximity. I felt it, and I was only human. I looked to Diana to see if she might be feeling the same way. The look of satisfaction on her face told me all I needed to know. She drank up this show of power like water on a hot day. Must be a wolf thing, because while I felt tense and uneasy, she smiled and melted against Micah’s body.

Brady stared at Aiden, but he didn’t make eye contact. “I’m taking the pack into consideration—as you should be, brother.”

“You think I’m not considering the pack?” Aiden snarled and banged his fist on the heavy oak reception desk. “I’m bending over backwards for them. Do you think Connor would have kowtowed as much as I have to the whims of this new council?”

“Father would never have needed to,” Brady said cautiously.

“Exactly. He ruled with an iron paw. His word was law, and so is mine. Fallon is my mate, and that is final.”

“Fallon can be your mate. But she is not pack.” Micah spoke carefully as if determined to drive his point home painfully slow. “And may never be.”

Aiden’s upper lip curled, and I swear I saw his teeth grow into fangs.

This situation was getting dangerous. I needed to defuse it, if possible. “I’ve already said I would turn. I’m willing to do whatever necessary to be part of this pack.”

“That’s not good enough.” Micah said.

Aiden grabbed him by the shirt and slammed him into the floor. “Not good enough for who? Give me one good reason not to tear out your throat right here and now.”

My heart sped so fast I felt lightheaded. These wolves were on the brink of bloodshed, and somewhere, deep down, I wanted to see it. The excitement of it, the justified retribution, the power. I wanted to witness my Aiden ripping Micah’s throat out and taking his place as rightful Alpha. These wolves were having a serious effect on me. I looked again to Diana. Eyes wide and a glossy smile plastered across her face, she too seemed excited to witness a battle.

Brady intervened just as the nails on Aiden’s hands began to grow into claws. “Calm down, brother. Hear him out.”

“I’ll hear none of his treason. I’m the Alpha and it is my right to put him down for his insubordination. You’re all here as witness.”

“He’s not being insubordinate. He’s making a valid complaint. It may not be what you want to hear, but you as the leader must listen; you know this.”

Aiden growled but released his grip on Micah. “Speak quickly.”

“You say you have the pack in mind, but your selected mate is attached to the vampire clan. They are a danger to us and our way of life.”

“They are no more a danger than you are,” Aiden warned.

“They are our allies.” I added.

“Allies who bring the Acta Sanctorum to our doorstep. Allies who cause the destruction of our pack. Allies who are directly responsible for the death of our previous Alpha,” Micah said. “Your father! They are the reason he’s dead.”

“You’re twisting things around,” I said, remembering the previous battle we’d had to fight with the Acta Sanctorum. The Saints were hunters, plain and simple. They didn’t differentiate between kinds of supernatural beings, they hated them all equally and made it their mission to destroy them all. To blame the vampires for the Acta Sanctorum’s attack would be like cursing the sun for rising every morning. “The vampires were not the cause of any of the wolves’ problems, and you know it. The Saints were already in your back yard when Alyssa came to Connor for support.”

“No, Alyssa did not come to Connor.” Micah narrowed his eye sat me. “She came to Aiden for support. She used your relationship to gain the wolves’ assistance, and the end result was half the pack, and our former Alpha, being slaughtered.”

My blood boiled in my veins. “Livid” was not a strong enough word to describe how mad I was. How dare he twist the situation around like that! “Alyssa and the rest of the vampire clan had already been made honorary members of this pack. All pack members are eligible for pack protection, and she was exercising her rights. She just happened to run into Aiden first when asking for help.”

“And I have no doubt that once you are named Alpha Female, she’ll feel free to exercise that right any time she sees fit. How many more pack members will have to put their lives on the line for a vampire?”

I saw right through his little game. He really wanted to push my buttons, and for a moment he’d done an excellent job of it. But I knew Alyssa wasn’t his real problem. She was a means to an end. I wanted him to admit his real intentions.

“Is she really your problem? I seriously doubt that. What if I give up my friend for the pack? What then? When that’s not enough, will you find something else to use as a reason I shouldn’t be the Alpha Female of this pack? Admit it. All you care about is taking the job yourself.”

Micah looked me in the eye. Even in his prone position, with Aiden looming over him, he still looked intimidating. “You’re right. I don’t want to see you as the Alpha Female. You’re nothing but a whore who hides in the bedroom waiting like a bitch in heat for her man.”

I didn’t see Aiden’s hand fly, but I heard the smack as it collided with Micah’s face. “Never talk to my mate like that again. You hear me?”

Oh, how I wished I could have been the one to knock that son of a bitch down. But I was glad enough that Aiden had. Part of me wished he’d done more.

No pain registered on Micah’s face. His jaw tightened and his eyes rose to meet Aiden’s. “She’s not worthy of that title, and neither are you. Everyone knows it, even your brother.”

I don’t know what the hell I’d done to him to deserve his ire, but Micah really had it in for me. Deep down I knew he was just grasping for anything that might give credit to his challenge. He wanted to be the Alpha and would take down anyone in his way to gain the title.