The Alpha's She-Wolf (9 page)

Connor did not attend his brother’s
funeral.  His three younger brothers set it up and their mother attended but no
one else from the pack.  Victor was not well liked, not now, not before.  Kirk
held their mother in her own house over night then brought her before the
council the next day where each of them testified against her and Victor.  A
council of seven decided that she was to be cast out of the pack with a
suitcase full of clothes and that she was never to step foot back in Maddock
territory for the rest of her life.  Connor felt bad about it but worse about
the things that she’d done over the years to him, his brothers and their father. 
She’d disrespected the alpha and it didn’t matter that he was dead.  Connor
still respected him and his memory.  He gave her two thousand dollars, the keys
to a car and hugged her.  His father would’ve wanted that, he was a fair man
and he wouldn’t put a wolf out in the cold with nothing or no one. 

“Goodbye Mother.”  Connor looked
her in the eye.  “I wish you’d been kinder.  I wish you’d given me any reason to
save you but you just never did.”  It was more than his younger brothers did or
said to her.  They stood stoically watching.  There were no tears, no whimpers
or growls, no lonesome howls.  She never looked back or said a word to them.  She
started the car and threw the gravel up when she peeled away from her boys. 

Shauna and Naomi watched from the
window of Naomi’s house.  They didn’t attend or testify at the meeting and they
were choosing girly wallpaper from a book when the commotion started.  Naomi
was delighted earlier that morning when Mike told her to make their bedroom
into something that made her feel happy and at home.  She’d bounced.  Naomi was
all about the frills.

“Do you think she’ll ever come
back?”  Shauna whispered.  Naomi shook her head.

“Not if she’s smart.  What do you
think?  This one,” It was pink and white striped, “or this one?”  It was baby
pink with Gerbera daisies printed on it.

“That one.”  Mike said heading to
the fridge for a beer.  He’d pointed to the stripes.  Naomi giggled because it
was her pick as well.  Connor came through and took a beer from his brother,
the other two followed.  Connor pulled Shauna out of her chair and then pulled
her back down into his lap when he sat.  He chugged back half of the can and put
it down.  Shauna picked it up and sipped delicately making Connor growl. 
Shauna put it down and leaned back into him then kissed his cheek.  He held her
there.  “You aren’t turning the carpet pink too are you?”  Mike murmured into
Naomi’s neck and she nodded.  “Hmm.  What do I get for allowing that?”  Naomi
turned and whispered in his ear.  He grinned and nodded.  “You can turn the
whole house pink for that.” 

“Whoa brother, still a bachelor
over here and still have testicles, let’s keep the pink to a minimum.”  Kirk
crushed his can and tossed it at the recycle bin.  “What’s that smell anyway? 
I’m starving.”

“Shauna made pizza.”  Naomi went to
the oven and opened the door then reached for the oven mitts.  She pulled the
huge pan out of the oven. 

“Holy shit that looks good.”  Derek
grabbed another beer, napkins, and plates while Naomi sliced.  “Hurry up, I’m
dying here.”  Derek told her.  Naomi laughed and brought it to the table.

“You made this Sweetness?”  Connor
asked around a slice.  She nodded.  “This is awesome.”  He offered her some of
it and she took a small bite.  “Come on you can do better than that.”  He
coaxed.  When he was satisfied, that she had enough in her mouth he finished it
and grabbed another slice. 

They retired to the deck when the
pizza disappeared.  “This is how it should always be, family enjoying each
other, eating together and loving each other.”  Shauna said.  “Even on the
worst days we should be able to come together.”  She curled into Connor’s
side.  His arm snaked around her and pulled her even closer.

“Damn right,” someone said. 

“Here, here.”  Another echoed. 

And they would, this mini pack
inside the pack would always be there for each other, would always stick up for
one another and would always protect each other.  Because that’s what brothers
do, Shauna thought.  She had brothers now, ones that would protect her and keep
her and Mimi safe, always.  She had a feeling that she wouldn’t be having
anymore panic attacks, not with them around and not with this big strong alpha
male at her side.  This beautiful wolf that set her heart and soul on fire was
the man of her dreams.

~The End~