Pride to Pack (The Mount Roxby Series) (26 page)

“I’m glad you’re okay.” I feel him relax through our mating bond.

“Has he given you any meat yet? You sound and feel much better.”

“Yes, he gave us some meat during the night. It won’t keep me going long. It was enough to let me draw some energy from the pack. It should keep me going until you get here, later.”

“Ruby and Wesley will be glad to
hear you’re better. You said us, are you with the others?”

“Yes they were in the room when I came around from the tranquilliser. They’re both well. Alyssa was a little distraught at thought of having hurt me but I think I managed to talk her out of that. Jared is here too. How is Dominick and Chomp they were both in big trouble when I fell unconscious?” He asks.

“Chomp is dead, well dead dead; you know what I mean. Dominick wasn’t far from following him but I donated a bit of blood, and he’s fine now.” I hold my breath as I wait for his reply, wondering how he will take the news about Dominick feeding from me.

“I bet he enjoyed that, the donation. So that means we have a tie to break again when I get back. That could be fun.” His cheery reply helps me relax.

“Hey cheeky, you might not be up to it.” I can hear the laughter through our connection. But feeling through the bond, I can tell he’s been pretending to feel better than he actually is. He feels extremely tired and he’s struggling to keep up the act. “Theo you can’t fool me. I’m an empath and your mate. I can feel how tired you are.”

“What? Your empathy works even like this?” He sounds as shocked as I was when I discovered it too.

“Yes. You’re feeling guilty now for lying to me. Actually, you’re probably only feeling guilty because I found out. You didn’t feel guilty when you were actually lying.”

“Sorry. I’m just trying not to worry you.” I can feel the truth to his words.

“I know you’re going to hang on for us, no matter how bad you feel. You’re not one to give up. I better go before Wesley rips my head off.”

“He better not.” He sounds
mad; his anger flowing through the bond confirms it. I’ll take it as a good sign that he has the energy to spare on emotions like that.

“Oh, he’s mad because he told me I had to be up, ready and downstairs by eight thirty. Have you heard of such a stupid idea? That is way
too early for me to get up. He had to come in the bedroom and wake me up just before I came to talk to you. I’m only guessing because I haven’t seen a clock yet, but it feels like lunchtime, but that could just be the hunger from all these changes confusing my biological clock,” I try to explain.

“He can’t give you orders,” Theo demands. Did he even listen the rest of what I had said?

“I know. I had to lead a pack meeting last night. That was so fun.” Sarcasm at its best.

“Did you have any trouble?” he asks, sounding nervous.

I really shouldn’t worry him, but he’ll be able to tell if I keep it from him. “Not really, except I owe you a new set of front doors. Don’t worry it’s secure enough, what with all the top dogs staying there.” I joke, hoping he doesn’t ask for more details.

“Oh great. I dread to think what else can get broken before I get back tonight.” He says with a laugh.

“Sorry, but I better go, Wesley really will kill me if I don’t hurry up.”

“I love you Bel.” It isn’t just words. I feel the love being sent through the bond.

“And I love you, Theo.” I could spend all day talking to him but I know I can’t so I tear myself away by pulling my wolf back.

I get dressed as quickly as I can, expecting Wesley to try breaking the door down any second. It felt like I’d been talking to Theo for a long time so I brace myself as I open the door to the bedroom expecting some kind of ambush. I’m surprised to find the room empty.

I rush down the stairs and in my haste I lose my footing about halfway down. I reach out trying to grab the wall or something to stop my fall but there is nothing I can grip. “SHIT” I scream as I fall head first down the stairs.

Billy appears out of nowhere, at the bottom of the stairs, stopping my decent before my face smashes into the slate floor. “Jesus Bel, are you okay?”

“Oh my god, Bel!” Ruby cries her voice sounding closer as she gets nearer.

“You caught me just in time, thanks Billy. You appeared out of nowhere. How did you know?” I ask.

“I felt you through the pack bonds, not to mention heard you thudding down the stairs. I’m a werewolf. I’ve got good speed. I’m just glad I was quick enough. We can’t have you damaging that beautiful face of yours.” He leans to kiss me on the head but Ruby pushes him off me trying to help me up, which would be easier if my feet weren’t still halfway up the stairs.

If Ruby had just left it to Billy to help me up, he would’ve been able to support my weight no problem. Hell he’d be able to bench press a car, one handed at that. That’s a good bonus to being a were, super strength and like Billy already said, speed. Unfortunately Ruby doesn’t have the strength of a were.

After watching us struggle for a second, not to mention seeing my face almost hit the floor once or twice, Billy barges Ruby out of the way, “Move it Rubes, I’ll get her. You go make Bel a coffee. I have a feeling she needs one to function in the morning.”

Ruby disappears into the kitchen, hopefully to make that coffee. Billy is right. I’m ready for one.

Billy picks me up without a problem and carries me across the room to the sofa.

“Thanks Billy.” I say as he sits me down on the sofa.

Wesley is sitting opposite me with a face like thunder.
Thanks for your concern.

“Sorry it took me a while to get down here, but I checked in on Theo while I was in the bathroom.”

“We heard you. How is he?”

Ruby passes me a mug of coffee and it smells perfect. I take a sip burning my tongue; I do that so often you would think I’d learn my lesson and wait for it to cool before drinking it, but the smell just draws me in every time. I put the mug down on the coffee table before I do it again as Ruby takes he seat next to me.

All three of them look at me with anticipation written over their faces.

“He’s okay. He didn’t realise my empathy worked through the connection so he tried to pretend he was better
than he is by acting all happy and normal, but I could feel how tired he was. He became a bit more truthful after I called him out on it. He’s keeping his hopes up and knows we’ll be there soon. He said he’s been taking energy from the pack, which is helping him.”

“So that’s why you have been so grumpy, Wes.” Billy nudges him in the ribs playfully.

“I thought Wes was always grumpy.” giggles Ruby.

“Well there is my excuse. Now tell us the rest.” He tries to give me an order.

I don’t know what comes over me but I’m not standing for it.

I stare him in the eyes, I wouldn’t normally stare a werewolf down unless I know I could kill them in a fight, like Chloe for instance. Because if you won’t back down and they won’t back down that is what a stare contest will lead to - a death match. Wesley is really dominant and so am I. I’m honestly not sure who would come out alive between the two of us. Since I’m Theo’s mate, I’m pack leader in his absence so the orders should be coming from me alone, not Wesley. I can hold my wolf back and only show the dominance I am willing to show. I’m not really sure how I do it and I’ve never heard of anyone else that can do it. But I made the mistake of showing my full dominance to Jared’s pack and I have learnt not to do that again. I usually try to make it so I sit in the middle of a pack, not too dominant to be considered a threat and not too weak to be abused. There is only Wesley and Billy here so I pull out my dominance to try to make Wes come to his senses and back down.

As I strip down emotionally to bare my animal, I feel Chloe come in the room. Her fear starts to grow along with my dominance.

Neither Wesley nor I look away from each other. It goes on for what feels like a long time, neither of us wanting to give in. Thinking on it, I don’t even think he really meant it as an order in the first place, but I am not backing down and Wesley obviously feels the need to stand his ground too.

“Come on guys, there’s no need for this.” Billy tries to stop us.

“Billy, keep out of it!” I order with every bit of dominance I have. I guess my point gets across because he doesn’t speak again.

My order must make Wesley realise something too because he looks down to the floor before dropping to his hands and knees and crawling over to me. He stops before me and turns his head baring his neck. It’s an animal thing, to offer a vulnerable body part in apology to the more dominant giving them the choice to rip you apart or chastise you.

I choose the latter by leaning forward and biting his throat, not hard enough to draw blood or even hurt (a nip more than a bite). But it’s a chastisement, which is needed. As weird as it feels I know I have to do it, it comes with the job. Maybe it was Theo’s anger over Wes and his orders still residing in me that caused me to stand my ground.

We both sit back in our seats without another word.

By now Chloe has joined us, sitting on the floor at Billy’s feet. She’s dressed extremely conservatively for Chloe, wearing a fuchsia pink hoodie and sweatpants, with hardly any flesh showing at all. I guess Theo isn’t here to impress.

They all look at me in silence waiting for me to carry on.

Before I can open my mouth Ruby breaks the silence, “Does someone want to explain what just happened?”

Billy looks at me questioningly.

I nod allowing him to answer.

“Dominance games. Pack stuff, sweetie.” He smiles at her reassuringly.

“But she bit him,” she says sounding astounded.

Wesley turns his neck to show her that there is no wound, just a pink mark which will fade to nothing in five minutes. “It wasn’t hard,” he admits.

She shrugs dismissively.

Billy is watching me. I can feel through his emotions that my dominance arouses him. I don’t know whether to feel flattered or creeped out by that.

Chloe has fear rolling off her in waves. I’m not the only one who can feel it. Billy reaches out and rubs her shoulder in comfort.

Wesley is concerned, no doubt about Alyssa.

“Theo said the others are safe and well. They were all together after he came around from the tranquilliser,” I say realising I have made them wait long enough.

They all stare at me in silence so I speak again, hoping we can get back to more normal conditions. It’s all too tense after the stare down. “So who are we taking tonight?”

Wesley hands me a piece of paper over the coffee table. “Billy and I picked a few guys we think will be best for the job. Their names and numbers are on there,” he says pointing at the piece of paper in my hand. “Obviously if you think someone is better for the job, by all means change it.”

“No it’s okay Wesley. You both know the pack members better than me. You know who is right for the job.” I glance over the list and notice Chloe’s name isn’t on it. Theo had told me she was one of the most dominant, and a good fighter, which made me think she’d be pretty useful. “How come Chloe’s not on there? She is one of the strongest in the pack.”

Chloe looks at me, gobsmacked.

I tried to sound as friendly as I can but I’m still showing too much dominance for my liking, with me shifting so much recently, I’m finding it hard to push it back into hiding. My wolf likes being out at full strength.

“Yeah, we were going to put Chloe on but we thought she’d be better staying here with Ruby. We know how good you are Chloe,” says Wesley. He sounds a lot calmer. We might be getting back to normality now.

“I don’t need a baby sitter, I’m seventeen,” Ruby complains.

“No, she’s not staying to babysit you. Think of it as more like a bodyguard. Especially with the front doors in the mess they are in. Theo left you with me when he went out and I can’t let anything happen to you while you’re in my care,” Wesley says.

“Fine,” Ruby snaps, clearly not happy but willing to let it slide.

I pick up the phone from off the coffee table and call the guys on the list. They all listened to my instructions silently with no arguments - just like the three wolves in the room with me, each of them assured me they would be at Misty’s on time.

Billy manages to get us all joking and laughing in no time. He’s got a heart of gold that one. He soon takes Ruby and Chloe in to the kitchen to help him make sandwiches for lunch, leaving me and Wesley alone in the lounge. I think he did it on purpose since there is still a little bit of tension between us. Maybe he hoped we’d be able to sort it out in private.

Wesley speaks up first. “About what happened earlier, I didn’t mean it as an order. I was just grumpy and didn’t think before I spoke.”

“I know. I don’t know what came over me, I think it might be something Theo said to me,” I admit.

“You had every right. I shouldn’t be giving you orders.”

I feel the need to explain. “Theo said that too. I think with his words fresh in my mind and my wolf close to the surface with all these changes I have been doing, my animal instincts took over.”

“How did you become
so dominant and then just let it disappear again, you only feel mid pack dominant now, but you were a hell of a lot more a minute ago?” He asks.