Pack Secrets (2 page)

Things happened for a reason
. Justin had to keep telling himself that over and over in his head. After Blake and Delilah’s wedding, where he’d scented his mate, he’d had no choice but to board the plane back home and leave the possibility of his fated behind in Alaska.

Since then, he couldn’t help but be cranky, even though he’d kept very busy. Paul and Bailey welcomed the new additions to their family shortly after, twin girls. He helped to ease Bailey’s pain while attempting to manage Paul’s anxiety. His parents were ecstatic over the birth of their first grandchildren. And so proud of how well Blake was doing with his new alpha status.

As always, Justin felt like there was a gaping hole in his life just waiting to be filled.

This is why he jumped when Blake called him to come back to Alaska. The alpha needed his help with a few things. And of course, the old biddies would love to see him again. He was ever the popular one for what he could provide-arthritis relief.

Not dwelling on those bitter thoughts he loaded himself onto the crowded plane, hating that he’d be trapped in this metallic, scent filled nightmare for a while. Instead he focused on the renewed hope of finding his mate.

“Mama, why can’t I go to the moon run? I want to go; I never been afor.”

“It’s before Carter, not afore. I’ve already told you why you can’t go. I can’t watch you. So, please, stop asking.”

Dee enjoyed having her son back in town, but he didn’t like to hear the word no. Her parents had indulged him while he was living with them. The constant struggle to establish and enforce rules was weighing her down. Not to mention that, in addition to having her son back, the alpha’s cat had decided it was going to live with her-uninvited of course. One day she came home from work, opened the door, and Mr. Boo, according to his pet tag, just sauntered in. She’d tried taking him back to the alpha, but he always found his way back. So she was forced to buy it food, and then a cat bed. Then, according to Carter, he needed toys and a litter box too.

“But, Mama, Alpha Blake can watch me. He’s my alpha, and he says I could go.”

She could feel the ache begin in her jaw from grinding her teeth. “I’m your mother, and I say no. Enough is enough. Time to shower.”

“But-“

“No, Carter, not tonight. Please, let it go for tonight.”

Carter’s head fell forward as he sniffled, “Okay, Mama.”

She hated to do this to her son, but she was having a hard time concentrating with the smell of the perfume she constantly bathed in. It was annihilating her sense of smell and even her taste was off. She really needed to shower and put Carter to bed; maybe then her headache would go away.

After she got Carter washed up in the bath she was soaked anyway. He loved making waves and seeing how high he could get the water. Occasionally he would accidentally create a wave too big and it would inevitable find her. Oh, the joys of motherhood.

After drying Carter off Dee poured herself a glass of cold milk and warmed up some milk for Carter. She sat him in front of the television with Mr. Boo curled up in his little lap, and put on some cartoons to keep him busy while she took a quick shower. As she carried her milk with her to the bathroom she noticed Mr. Boo small tongue lapping at Carter’s milk so she sent a hiss his way, but he simply looked up briefly before continuing to eye her while he enjoyed her sons drink.

As she stood under the spray she found herself thinking about her alpha’s brother, Justin Nunn. Not only was he hot, but his presence was calming like her alphas. His healing abilities were extraordinary, and the fact that he would heal her son without knowing him or gaining anything in return was baffling. She’d watched him through the night. He’d dance with the elderly women of the pack and place his hand on the men’s shoulders in passing, always leaving them less stiff afterwards. By the end of the night he was walking a bit more hunched and the people on the dance floor were boogying away into the night. The cook had described that when they danced she had felt flushed and then her chronic arthritis pain was relieved.

She smiled when she thought of the three Nunn boys’ antics that night which had the whole pack talking. She wanted so badly to be able to loosen up and enjoy herself, but she’d been uptight for far too long. She’d worked so hard to hide her son’s birth. Now she had other secrets to hide from the pack, including the identity of Carter’s father. Their old alpha, Tidus, was the worst bastard that’d ever lived. It wasn’t until she delivered Carter that she realized how bad it was.

Shaking herself from her past she washed up, shampooing, rinsing, and repeating until the smell of her powerful perfume didn’t cling to her hair anymore. Stepping out of the shower in her fluffy towel, she panicked when she saw Carter sitting on the toilet, wearing his pajamas. “Everything okay, Carter?”

“I just love you Mama, I want you ta be happy. You don’t look happy. Should I go back to live with Gama and Papa?”

Falling heavily to her knees she clutched at the corner of her towel. “Of course not, Carter, I love you and I’m happy. We’re happy, right?”

“Okay.”

She approached her son, letting him see all the love she felt for him. Lifting him off the toilet she sat on the bath mat and held him in her arms. He felt so small. He’d been losing weight since coming to live with her, and it broke her heart. He wanted to fit in so badly and she was holding him back, but she couldn’t change things, not yet. “Maybe I’ll talk to Blake about you participating in the next moon run.”

Her son hooted and hollered jumping out of her lap and showing his excitement by doing a little victory dance. The overpowering feeling of love washed over her. He stopped his dance and crawled back into her lap.

“Mama?”

“Yes, Son.”

“I think you smell pretty right now. Will you leave that yucky stuff off tonight?”

She took a deep breath. “If that’s what you want, sure, but I have to wear it when we leave.”

He looked up at her with a slight grin easing the corner of his mouth, “I know, but I don’t like it.”

“Me either, Son, now time for bed.”

Always trying to get more than he bargained for he asked, “Can I sleep in your spot? Maybe you can read me a book.”

She chuckled at his misuse of words. “You can sleep in your bed and I’ll read you a story. Deal?”

He sighed as he responded, “Deal.”

After the story she lay in bed next to her son thinking. She loved having him around, but was becoming increasingly concerned he may not be safe. She felt like she was being followed and when she came home from work a week ago she’d smelled an unfamiliar wolf in her home. Not having any idea how they got in or what they wanted she’d let it go, until…the note.

Yesterday, while she was in the flower shop working, Carter was playing in the back and she heard the bell over the door. She never saw anyone, but on the counter was a bright white piece of paper with the words,
I know
, written in bold black script. Know what? Which of her secrets were they alluding to? They weren’t even bold enough to be seen, so she wasn’t sure if she should be concerned. Resigning herself to have a talk with her alpha she slipped from Carter’s bed and into her own. The sheets were cool against her skin and she was so tired she fell asleep within a few minutes of her head hitting her pillow.

*****

Two days later Dee was exhausted. Work and her son were consuming her. Carter had boundless energy and she’d been holding off taking him into the forest for a run because she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to keep an eye on him. She knew that’s what he needed though; a good run on four legs would tucker him out and give her a small break from his endless questions.

She exited the back of the house she’d been renting and took him to the edge of the forest. “It’s time to play, but I want you to remember the rules. Stay where I can see you and don’t play with other wolves if you see them. Got it?”

“Yep, I can’t wait, Mama. I’m so happy I get to be my wolfie.”

“Shh, keep your voice down. Remember, we don’t reveal our animals to anyone. Don’t forget, Carter, it’s very important.”

“I knows. But Mama, I’m a wolfie and Gama and Papa never lets me run.”

He held his little arms to his side and pumped them back and forth like he was running, his legs joined in the action. She was taken back to the last time she’d seen his wolf; no, she’d never think about that, it was in the past.

“Are you ready, Mama? Watch me.” He stripped his clothes, flinging them every which way until he was naked and crouched down on the ground. His body shifted in a matter of seconds. He’d always been fast, alpha fast.

He bumped his head into her leg once before he tore off through the foliage behind their house. He urinated on every tree, howling once as he got to the far end of their property. She watched him run back and forth digging, scratching and generally having a great time as his wolf. It was important to let your beast out to play every once in a while, there were people who’d gone insane from denying their beast for too long.

She let him run for a good hour until she noticed him start to slow down and do more rolling in the dirt than anything else. He came over to her appearing like he wanted to change back when there was a noise in the woods. His ears perked up and he tore down the steps and into the wooded area bordering their house. She chased after him calling his name and was shocked when he came out of the forest with a bunny gripped in his jaws.

She smiled down at him, “Great job, buddy, you’re going to be a master hunter, already slaying the bunny. Time to go in now.”

There was a gagging sound and Carter released the rabbit from his mouth and proceeded to vomit in his wolf form. She didn’t even know wolves could vomit. “Change back, Carter, it’s time to go in.”

Instead of doing what she asked, he whined and began to gag again. Carter wasn’t an ill child. In fact, wolves rarely got sick, so she began to panic. She retrieved her phone and called the only person she knew that might be able to help.

Being in Alaska felt right, even if he ended up having to heal half the population’s ailments. Justin really enjoyed the community. There wasn’t an internet café or a Starbucks on every corner. The people that lived here were more in tune with nature.

He’d been out scenting with Blake who’d warned him that he was out marking the border of his territory when he scented a wolf shifter that he wasn’t familiar with. They didn’t know if it was a rogue or an old pack member, but the scent was distinctly feminine.

Over the last couple minutes Blake, in wolf form, had appeared restless and on edge. Not to mention his scent changed to almost panicked. Blake was practically running while scenting and it was making Justin Nervous.

Blake’s phone rang for the twentieth time and Justin smiled as he jokingly answered without looking at the caller ID. “Blake here, but if it’s a woman I’m happily mated and not on the lookout for Mrs. Nunn as I’ve already found her.”

The person on the other line was breathless and he heard some sort of disgusting retching in the background through the telephone line. Justin asked, “Who is this?”

An all too familiar voice came over the line and Justin got chills as he heard her say. “He’s sick.”

Justin demanded. “Where are you, Dee? Where is he?”

There was a pause before more gagging sounds started and a breathless Dee broke his heart by pleading. “Please help him. We’re at home.”

Blake was already sprinting to the car, no longer shifted, in full alpha mode with Justin close on his heels. “We’re on our way.”

Justin disconnected the call, and was so rattled he couldn’t even open the car door. Blake came around and flung it open for him before rushing to the driver’s side and starting the car. Pulling out of the parking lot the car swerved. “What the hell, bro-” Before Justin completed his sentence, Blake pulled Justin into his mind. Through Blake’s blood bond with the pack, Justin could feel Dee’s panic. Justin was glad Blake was behind the wheel: he would have been too overwhelmed by Dee’s distress to drive. Justin sat in the passenger seat, feeling her distress. Every minute that went by was killing him, knowing he wasn’t there for them when they needed him.

Pulling into the front of her house, Justin was out of the car before Blake put it in park. He ran to the front door and turned the handle. It was locked. Justin took a step back to break it down right before Blake’s booted foot came cracking into the door, splintering the wood and effectively opening the door. Justin was the first to enter. He inhaled deeply, noting their scents were faint, mingled with some sort of feline, and that they lead outside.

Carter was hunched over in his wolf form heaving as Dee sat next to him stroking his heaving sides. When she looked up she had tears in her eyes, while fear ruled her expression. Seeing the look of devastation on her face made Justin want to join in Carter’s puking episode.

Inhaling deeply trying to control his anger he noted a bitter scent on the wind. He followed it to a dead rabbit on the ground. He picked it up by its ears and Dee ran at him at bat it out if his hand.

Her voice was whisper thin, “I think it was poisoned or something. He was fine before he caught the rabbit.” She choked back a sob as her son continued to dry heave. “Can you heal him?”