Terr4tory (8 page)

Chapter 15

Willa tried to hide her worry as she sat with the girls, all three sets of eyes glued to the door as they waited for the boys.  Drawing in a calming breath, she tensed when she scented Sarya’s tears.

“Hey.” She spoke softly, taking the girl’s hand.  “They’re fine, baby.  Barron will find them.”

“I know.” Sarya sniffed as she swiped at her tears with the back of her hand.  “I just hate this.  It was going to be our first good outing since…”  She lowered her head. “Since Alpha Garner died.  I…I didn’t want you to have to worry today.”

Willa’s mouth fell open.  Sarya, the soft heart, was distressed because she was worried about her Alphina?  “Oh, sweetheart!”  Willa scooted her chair back and crossed to hug Sarya’s shoulders.  “Come on.”  She grabbed the girl’s arm.  “Let’s go win Jase a prize.”

Sarya smiled through her tears.  Jase was fond of the stuffed animals that packed the skill crane nestled in the corner.  Willa led both girls to the machine and pulled out a dollar to slide it into the feeder.  “Sarya’s first.”

Soon, all three were engrossed in the game as Sarya had several near misses at a ninja turtle that she knew Jase was fond of.

“Aww, come on.”  Becca shook the machine.  “My turn!”

Willa fed another dollar into the machine and backed away to let Becca slide into place at the controls.  She felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise, but it was too late.  Strong hands gripped her hips and yanked her backward.  She lost her footing and stumbled, only to be caught and held firmly against a lithe male body.

“Easy, sweets!”

The voice was unrecognizable, and Willa jerked her head around to scowl up at the offending male who still had his hands on her.  Jerking hard, she shoved at the hands on her hips and scrambled to her feet.  She tried to pull back, but the male wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into him.

Willa’s nostrils flared. 
Shifter.  Alpha!

Behind her, Sarya whined and slipped deep into the corner while Becca crossed to stand protectively in front of the other girl.

Willa ground out, “Take.  Your.  Hands. 
Off
.  Me!”

The Alpha laughed and turned to eye his pack.  Willa’s eyes followed.  There were four men in all, and they all looked younger than her.

The Alpha’s blue gaze turned back to her.  He was tall and wiry with short, spikey hair and was wearing a long, dark coat.

She scowled at his ridiculous attire. 
A
coat
in the summer?

He and his pack reminded Willa of the vamps from that
Lost Boys
movie.  Old enough to be men, but not yet mature enough to lay the claim.

“Hey, sweets.  I came to town for you!”  The Alpha smiled wolfishly.  “We were going to eat and then come out, but…”  He turned to smile at his pack.  “Two birds, eh boys?”

The men behind him laughed, and one whistled.  Willa didn’t like the way they were eyeing Becca and Sarya.  She shoved hard at his chest and put some space between their bodies, but the Alpha merely released her waist to hold her upper arm in an iron grip.

“Take your fucking hands off me!”  Willa hissed.  In her periphery she saw the few other restaurant patrons flee.

Apparently, the Alpha had had enough.  His hand on her arm tightened, and then kept going.  She didn’t wince, she didn’t make a sound.  Her scowl remained in place.  Challenging.  When the pain got to be too much she pointed to her neck.  “I’m already claimed, asshole.  You’re too late.  Now, get gone before my mate returns and rips your fucking hand from your body.”  She looked down at the hand still holding her in a bruising grip.

When her eyes lifted back to the Alpha’s she could see and scent his anger at the mark on her, but it didn’t last.  He blinked, and the expression was gone before he smiled.  “Sounds like a bluff.  And that,” he tried to slide his fingers over the mark, but Willa jerked back.  “Looks old.”  Suddenly, he yanked Willa forward and lifted her quickly so her legs were wrapped around him as he turned and carried her through the restaurant.  “No, if there was a new Alpha in town, I’m certain he’d fuck you and mark you often.”  He carried her to a table, and despite her struggles, was able to lay her on the hard surface.  Insinuating his body between her legs, he pinned her arms over her head.  “That’s not a mate mark.”  He leaned closer, his breath fanning her face as he slid his nose over hers then down to her neck and, to her horror, nuzzled between her breasts, inhaling deeply before pulling back to smile at her.  “And you don’t smell like you’ve been fucked.  Don’t lie to me.  There is no mate.”

“Is there a problem?”

Willa was praying for Barron to arrive, but it was the stupid cook who poked his old head out of the kitchen.

Above her, the Alpha partially shifted and flashed elongated incisors and his wolf’s eyes at the employee before the poor frightened guy ran back into the kitchen.  It was a forbidden display.  Shifters went to great lengths to remain hidden, and here this punk was, showing their secret to the world.

“W-Willa?”  Becca’s voice trembled as she sought guidance.

Willa’s head jerked to the side and she saw the other men advancing on Becca and Sarya. 
Enough
!

Sucking in a deep breath, Willa slammed her head forward with all her might.  Her forehead connected with the Alpha’s nose and he dropped with a howl.  Slowly, she rolled off the table and curled her hands into fists as she eyed the pack of men who suddenly stopped and stared at her gape-mouthed.

Blood ran down from Willa’s forehead in a stream, sliding off the tip of her nose and dripping onto her lips.  She didn’t care as she allowed her wolf to seep forth into her eyes.  Donning a menacing grin, she lowered her head to glare up at the men.  Her full Alphina authority radiated in her words as she growled, “Get away from
my
girls.”

To his credit, one of the men actually moved away before realizing his pack wasn’t following suit and quickly reclaimed his step to avoid looking like a coward.

“You bitch!”  The Alpha was struggling to his feet with his hands cupping his gushing nose.

In front of the girls, one of the shifters whispered, “Aw, shit David!”

David?

Willa eyed the group of men before returning her gaze to the bleeding David.  His pack fidgeted nervously, drawing Willa’s attention, and she could see their ire increasing by the second.  They were going to attack, and were simply waiting for David’s permission to do so. 
Cowards!

Willa’s eyes shot to the door. 
Damn it!
  Still no Barron.  When David dropped his hands and looked from her to his pack, she knew this was it.  She knew he was going to issue the order to attack.

“I challenge the Alpha,” she bit out before he could voice his command.  A challenge was a piss-poor idea, but it’d hopefully stall them out long enough for Barron to arrive.

“Challenge?” David snarled.

“Yes.”  She turned to him fully, ignoring his pack and showing them that this would be dealt with between the Alphas.  “You said you came for me.  I refuse to submit or acquiesce.  I challenge you for the right to
my
territory,” she jerked her head toward the girls, “and
my
pack.”

“Fine!” David snarled, jerking his coat off before wadding it up and slamming it on the floor.  “But know this. 
When
I win, I’m going to make you pay for your defiance!”

Willa’s gut clenched as he approached.  She’d hoped there’d be more preamble, more questioning, more…
something
!  Nope.  David was ready to battle, and apparently he had no regard for the fact that they were in the damn mall!

Willa squared her feet, preparing to throw herself at David.  Her plan was to shift mid-air and pray she landed a death blow before he realized what hit him.

The loudest, most vicious growl she’d ever heard rent the air and had her freezing in place.  David stalled as well, and he and his pack slowly turned.

“BARRON!” Sarya screamed, and it sounded so terrified that it actually had tears flooding Willa’s eyes.  Eyes that left David as he turned to discover the source of the sound.  Eyes that locked on Barron where he stood just at the entrance to the restaurant.

He looked possessed, and a rolling growl rumbled once more from deep in his chest.  His eyes were fully wolf, and his incisors had punched through so sharply that blood dripped from his lips and jaw as he sneered at David.  Shoulders and thigh muscles bulged, and black hair rippled over his arms and face as his wolf fought the man for dominance.  It was a rare display, a
feral
display, only occurring in the direst of situations.  A shifter rarely lost control of his beast, but when he did, this is what it looked like.

In front of her David tensed, but Barron’s eyes never left Willa’s.

She knew she had to look horrible, her eyes still filled with tears from Sarya’s heart-wrenching scream, and blood still dripping down her face from the cut on her forehead where she had bashed David’s nose.  It combined with David’s own blood.  She knew she looked abused. 

Barron slowly walked toward her, his eyes never leaving her face, his rumbling growl still rolling through him.  Unsure what to do, Willa eyed the shifter males nervously.  The pack, minus David, lunged as one.  Finally, Barron pulled his eyes from her to defend himself, and it was laughably easy.  He looked like the Incredible Hulk plowing through a row of Tinker Toys.  His fists connected with expert precision, and their impact was devastating.  In mere seconds, he’d mowed down the pack. His chest heaved with what Willa was sure was anger rather than exertion.  He turned back to her, his eyes locking on hers again as he continued his approach.

Foolishly, David jumped in front of her.  “You…”

It was the only word he got out before Barron’s hand slammed into David’s throat and lifted. With one arm, Barron held the weaker Alpha a foot off the floor.  Slowly, he moved his arm to clear David’s body from blocking his view of Willa.  Suddenly, Barron froze.  If it were possible for Barron to look any more menacing, it happened when his ferocious growl suddenly halted.  Eyes widening in disbelief, they quickly narrowed to dangerous slits as Barron finally turned to eye David before pulling him closer and inhaling.  “You. 
Touched.
  MINE?”

Willa couldn’t deny the jolt of pleasure his words shot through her.  Why did his claim always feel so right, so like home?

Throat still held in Barron’s grip, David couldn’t respond.  When Barron’s hand tightened, Willa stepped cautiously forward.  “Barron?” She pleaded with him softly, not wanting him to kill anyone here, like this.  “Please!  The cops will come.”

“Let them fucking come!”  He snarled, unable to control the rage that pulsed through him at the knowledge that this offending male had dared to lay a finger on his mate.

All the fight drained from David and his eyes rolled back as his body went limp.  His pack were slowly getting to their feet.

“Barron?”  Willa approached, slowly lifting a hand to tentatively touch his arm.  “Please, let him go.  It’ll mean trouble if he dies.”

Barron kept his angry eyes pinned on David for long moments before he pulled the male closer and then threw him back into his pack.  They barely caught their Alpha before hurriedly lowering him to the ground where they struggled to revive him, only stopping when Barron approached to stand menacingly over them.

“They!”  Barron jabbed his finger toward where Jase and Arden still stood by the door.  “Are
my
pack!  They!” He jabbed his finger again, but this time it was toward Sarya and Becca.  “Are
my
pack!”  He bent to lean closer to the huddled shifters as they recoiled in unison, fear evident in their shocked eyes and open mouths.  “
She
!”  Barron leaned to the side and pointed over his shoulder toward Willa.  The wolves all flicked their gaze her way, but quickly returned to staring at Barron.  “Is. 
Mine
!”  He slowly stood.  “Keep your eyes off my girls, stay away from my pack, and keep your hands off my mate!  Come back again, and you all fucking die.”

Turning, he held out his arms and motioned for Becca and Sarya to come to him.  Both girls threw themselves into his arms, and he hugged them tightly before pulling back and pointing toward the boys in silent command.  The girls obeyed, racing to where Arden and Jase stood by the door.  Barron turned to look at Willa, and she half expected him to call her to him, but he didn’t.  He was the one to make the effort to close the distance between them. Lifting trembling hands to cup her face, he nuzzled her cheek and asked quietly, “Are you okay?”

She nodded.

When he pulled back to look at her, his eyes swirled with a mixture of man and wolf, anger and fear, need and…something she couldn’t place.

“You’re bleeding.”  He whispered.

She lifted a hand to her forehead, but he caught her fingers before she could touch the blood.  “I-I think it’s his.”

“No,” he growled.  “You’re hurt.”

Again, he cupped her face before slowly sliding his tongue up the bridge of her nose and between her brows, stopping just as it got to a painful spot on her forehead.  Pulling back, he held her face as he tilted his head back and his eyes closed.  There was a look of strain that was reflected in the tightness around his eyes, and Willa wasn’t sure what he was feeling.