The Alpha's Ardor (8 page)

“I see you’ve found Quinn.” Law’s voice startled Declan so badly he jumped. He’d been so caught up in the mystery surrounding the fox that he hadn’t realized the alpha had walked up to him where he stood on the sidewalk. What Law had said still caught his attention once he’d managed to calm his heart rate back down.

“Quinn?” Declan arched a brow at Law in question.

“Hmm.Our librarian and resident bottlebrush.” Law jerked a thumb over his shoulder and back towards the library and the fox.

“Bottlebrush?” Declan asked.

“It’s the tail. It’s all … bushy.” Law made a motion with his hands like something was exploding, and Declan couldn’t help but chuckle at how ridiculous he looked. Law grinned back at him, a warm light in his eyes.

“What’s a fox doing in the middle of your territory? I didn’t think they’d do something like that,” Declan asked curiously and was surprised when Law’s face went hard and serious.

“It’s not really my story to tell, but the long and short of it is that Colby, a beta in the pack, saved him a year or two back.” Sadness flashed across Law’s face. “He’s the only one left in his family unit, and he didn’t have anywhere else to go after he healed so we let him stay.”

Declan didn’t want to imagine how that would feel. While his life hadn’t been easy, while it had been nothing but running for years now, he’d always had Lachlan. He couldn’t imagine being all alone in the world like that.

“I hope I didn’t scare him.” Declan shot a look back over his shoulder towards the library. Law snorted and laughed low in the back of his throat as he moved closer to Declan so he could wrap an arm around his shoulders and pull him closer. Declan resisted for a moment but then gave up and let Law tuck him underneath his arm and set them to moving back down the street.

“Don’t let the fact that he’s alone fool you, little wolf. That bottlebrush has some wicked teeth, and he’s well versed in those
tricks
his kind favor so much. Quinn’s the closest thing we have to an omega and he normally keeps to himself, stays on the outskirts of things, but he’s far from helpless. He doesn’t really say much either, so don’t take it personally in the future. Except for when it comes to the library, he’s fierce about that place. That place and Colby, come to think of it, are about the only things I’ve ever seen him get upset over.” Law looked almost amused, and Declan imagined that there were some memories behind that look that he might want to hear one day.

“And the pack accepts him? Doesn’t mind having someone so different on their territory?” Declan knew the question came out more vulnerable than he wanted it to. They both knew why he was asking, both knew that the question was more about him and Lachlan than about the fox.

“I’m not going to lie to you, Declan. There are a handful of wolves that don’t like having him around, that think he should either be chased out or killed. The pack’s not perfect. They give him trouble from time to time, but Quinn will never come clean about who it is. It pisses Colby off more than anything, but he has my permission to take care of anyone he catches acting out of line.” Law looked displeased, like the thought of such things happening in his territory unsettled him in some way. “In the end Quinn is safe because he has my blessing as well as Trace and Colby’s. Plus once they gave him a chance the number of people who like Quinn grew far bigger than the ones who don’t.” Law leveled him with a hard, serious look like he was trying to get Declan to understand something.

For once Declan thought he might actually get it. With Law and Trace’s support the majority of the pack would take the time to get to know them no matter who or what they were. Even if everyone didn’t accept him and Lachlan in the end they should find more than enough acceptance for life to be good.

Declan felt as if a weight had been lifted off of him, as if something that had been eating away at him had finally been settled.

He smiled up at Law who bent down and nuzzled the side of his Declan’s head with his nose.

“Now let me show you the town.” Law steered Declan around the corner and back down the main street of the town.

“Law, I’ve seen the town. I’ve been here for hours. You’re a little late.” Declan stared up at Law and felt warmth and a startling amount of affection twist its way through his chest when Law sent him a boyish grin and kept moving.

“Ah, but you haven’t seen it with me, now, have you?” That was all Law said on the matter and then they were off.

Law pulled him into shops he hadn’t wandered into yet, and a few he had, including the clothes shop with the were who had winked at him his first time through. She took one look at Law’s arm draped over Declan’s shoulders and wiggled her brows at him teasingly. It surprised a laugh out of Declan that had Law looking at him in surprised pleasure before he tugged him through the door and back out into the town.

Declan let himself get lost in Law’s lively chatter, let himself get caught up in the alpha’s enthusiasm. Law’s joy, his unrepentant pride in his pack and his territory, was contagious. When night began to creep in around the edges of the town, he was only too happy to let Law tug him into a diner. He was surprised by the way the people inside, were and human alike, called out loud and happy greetings to Law and him both. He was more surprised however to see Trace, apron around his waist and a grin on his face, holding a coffee pot in one hand and a spatula in the other.

“Oh, alpha, my alpha! You finally brought Declan out on the town! And no better place to come than my humble eatery. Declan, you won’t find better food in all of Flathead.” Trace grinned at him from behind the counter.

Declan smiled back as he and Law slid into an unoccupied booth in the back of the diner. He turned to look at Law only to realize with a faint sense of wonder that Law was already looking at him, had been watching him for a while by the look of it. The soft look, the genuine expression of affection on Law’s face, made Declan’s heart skip a beat like always. The thought that maybe Law really was sincere struck Declan suddenly and wouldn’t go away.

Maybe he really did want Declan for more than just payment. Maybe, in some strange twist of fate that he had never really thought possible, maybe Declan had been right and Law really was courting him.

The hope that he’d been ruthlessly squashing began to take root and for once Declan was content to let it.

After his night out with Law, Declan stopped fighting with himself so hard. He stopped trying to crush every bit of positivity that threatened to sneak into his head, and instead he focused on enjoying his time with Law. As if he sensed the change in Declan, Law began to gently push Declan into doing things with him. Declan, feeling lighter and more joyful than he ever had, agreed.

They ran through the woods together on more than one occasion. They spent nights together on the couch watching television, or laughing at something with Trace, all three of them around the island in the kitchen. Declan missed Lachlan with the ache of a severed limb in those moments, but he couldn’t deny how much he still enjoyed himself. Besides, Lachlan seemed happy enough for the moment if his attitude during their phone calls was anything to go by.

Most of all Declan and Law talked. They talked about Law’s past, his family and some of his duties as alpha. Declan found out that Law’s parents had both died when he and Trace were younger and that things had been difficult for a little while in Flathead as Law settled into his new power and position. He’d confessed that there was a moment when he didn’t want to be alpha. When he’d spent two weeks in his room doing nothing but drinking until the point that he’d been ready to turn the position over to Trace, but his brother hadn’t let him. Instead Trace had dragged him bodily into the forest, thrown him into a lake and then they’d beat the hell out of each other until neither one of them could move.

Afterwards Law had officially claimed his position as head of the pack and to the surprise of no one had nominated Trace as his first in command.

In return Declan had shared a few stories of some of the better times he and Lachlan had during their lives on the road. He told Law about waking up in one state and then going to sleep in another, about the stars in the middle of the desert or the feel of sea spray on his fur in the early morning. He told him about the time he and Lachlan had almost gotten captured by a forestry ranger in southern California.

Thanks to all of the talk about their pasts and about brothers, Declan finally remembered to say something to Law about Lachlan scouting the territory after a few days.

Trace, who was sitting on the kitchen counter with a cup of coffee in his hand, wanted Lachlan to come all the way into the territory as soon as he was able. After a quick explanation he seemed to understand when Declan told him that they were going to take Law’s earlier suggestion and let Declan scope things out with the pack first. They all knew it was a safety measure, that Lachlan and he were being careful in case something didn’t work out and they had to make a run for it, but they were all content to have it left unsaid.

With each day that passed it seemed more and more likely that it was an option neither of them would ever have to take.

It was a week or two later when he and Lachlan erupted into a hot and heavy argument during one of their phone calls. Declan was in the kitchen and his angry outburst brought both Law and Trace running, but he ignored them as he continued to trade barbs with Lachlan. After all of their talks about being careful Lachlan had managed to run headlong into a small pack of hunters in a town just on the other side of Law’s territory boundary to the south.

Declan, angry and scared, demanded Lachlan tell him where he was at, was prepared to shift and track him down by scent if he had to. Lachlan was just as adamant that Declan stay put, that he stay where he was, safe and protected. He was unable to suppress the snarl that twisted his features, the way his eyes flashed and his claws slipped out when Trace snatched the phone away from him.

“You’re in the south edges, right? Then you need to head north and cross over the territory line. There are beta patrols out in that area, and the hunters won’t dare cross into our territory. I’ll call ahead and tell them that you’re on the way and that you might have heat on your tail.” Trace spoke, his voice urgent and serious in a way Declan had never heard before.

“Who the fuck are you? Where the hell is Declan?” Lachlan’s loud and angry voice could be heard over the phone’s speaker easily.

“I’m Trace, he’s here, now shut up and do what I told you.”

Trace managed to snarl across the line before Declan grabbed the phone back.

“Lach! He’s right. Just ditch the hunters and get across the territory line. We’ll figure the rest of it out later.” Declan didn’t care about anything but making sure Lachlan was safe.

“Fine! I’ll call you back when I’m at the border. That son of a bitch had better make that fucking phone call, or I swear I’ll rip his spleen out with my teeth.” Lachlan hung up abruptly, and it was only Law’s comforting hand on his shoulder that kept Declan from rushing out of the house in an attempt to track Lachlan down.

“It’s going to be alright, little wolf. I sent out word that Lachlan was to be protected the minute you told me he was scouting the territory lines. Trace makes one call, and he’ll have half a dozen wolves out looking for him and safe passage into the territory.” Law’s calm and confident voice helped Declan to pull back his anger and his worry enough for him to be able to breath normally again.

“So, Declan, this twin of yours ... you two are identical, right?” Trace asked like he didn’t already know the answer, but his question broke some of the tension in the kitchen, and Declan was almost grateful. “Should be fun having two sweet little bits around the house.”

Helpless amusement warring with worry, Declan nodded, but he couldn’t stop a faintly confused grin from turning up his lips at the way Trace was so obviously excited. “You should know we’re only physically identical. Lachlan’s not as … peaceable as I am, as I’m sure you just figured out.” It was a longstanding joke between him and Lachlan, the fact Lachlan’s temper ran hot and wild while Declan had always favored the cunning and calm approach. It made them an excellent team, and Declan knew it was one of the things that had kept them alive for so long despite not having a proper pack.

“He’s feisty. I approve.” Trace chuckled lowly from where he was standing halfway through the kitchen door way.

“That’s putting it mildly.” Trace looked like he wanted to ask more questions, but he shook his head sharply and turned to head out the back door, hand digging into a pocket and coming out with a sleek black phone as he moved. He was in the yard in seconds, and Declan heard him barking orders to someone on the other end of the line for a few a moments before Declan heard him hang up.

“Law, I’m going to the diner. It’ll be a few hours, but I’ll call when he’s through the line.” Trace spoke from the yard, and Declan could hear the sound of clothes being shed and dropped on the back porch as Trace, without waiting for a reply, shifted and took off.

Declan had a sneaking suspicion that Lachlan would be meeting the head beta sooner rather than later. Trace seemed oddly determined to be a part of the welcoming wagon now that Lachlan was finally on his way into the heart of the territory. Surprisingly enough the thought helped him to relax even quicker.

“Why’s he so interested in Lachlan?” Declan turned his head to look up at Law curiously.

“I suspect you’ll find out pretty quickly when Lachlan gets here. It’s going to be fun having the two of you living here with us.”

Law chuckled. “Hell, it’ll be even more exciting once Lachlan’s been introduced to the rest of the pack. I’m pretty sure the two of them are going to be the talk of the territory if Trace has his way. Then again hopefully he’ll have to compete with me and you. It’s not every day the alpha takes a mate.” Law grinned down at him, a hopeful light in his face. Declan couldn’t suppress the hot curl of arousal that spiraled through his stomach at the way the expression brightened the alpha’s face. Then what Law had said hit him, and he could feel his heart begin to race at the implications.