Their Alpha Bitch (11 page)

Kenna swallowed the lump that threatened to close her throat as the male at her back growled softly and moved back enough that she could no longer feel his cock pressed against her.

“That would have been Vincent Draga. He has been busy rounding up lone wolves to start his own pack after he was banished from ours for murder. He isn’t above stealing females to offer to his new recruits. I’m surprised he didn’t approach
you
and make you an offer of riches beyond your wildest dreams.”

The male behind her released her arms and moved forward so she could see him. He was almost as big as the one in front of her. “Who says he didn’t?” His voice seemed to rumble up from his chest.

Inhaling deeply, she tried not to let the way his grey eyes moved over her body bother her. Males without access to females were always a concern for unattached she-wolves. “Did you accept his offer?”

“What do you think, little one?” The taller male smiled crookedly.

Kenna squared her shoulders and lifted her chin further. “If you didn’t accept, I’m authorized to make you an offer to join the Dumont pack, since you are unaffiliated.”

The male who had held her arms rumbled softly, “We can take care of ourselves. We don’t need a pack.”

Dark eyes moved over her thoughtfully as the taller brother said quietly, “I take it you are the new alpha bitch of the Dumont pack if you have the authority to offer us sanctuary among you.”

“My name is Kenna Dumont. And yes, I am.” She startled the big male by offering her hand. He stared down at her extended palm for a long moment before reaching out to clasp it with his giant paw.

“We’ll think about your offer, Kenna Dumont. You can tell Gant that Lance Yellowhorse sends his greetings. My brothers and I prefer not to affiliate with others, but if the need arises, he knows where to find us.”

She smiled up at him and then glanced at his brother. “We have lost a number of our fighters to Vincent Draga. We can always use strong wolves at our side. And we have a number of unmated females who would certainly welcome such big and virile males.”

Blade stared down at her and glanced at Lance. “What do you think, brother?”

“We’ll think about it. We’ll escort you back to Dumont territory. It isn’t safe out here. The female you were following is part of the pack Draga had with him when he visited us. If they run across you, you won’t get away from them.”

She inhaled the combined scents of the two males and nodded. “I’ll remember the Yellowhorse brothers. You have a pleasing forest scent. I won’t be afraid of you next time.”

Blade leaned close and inhaled her scent once again, closing his eyes as if savoring her. She forced herself to remain still and not flinch away. “We’ll certainly remember you, sweet thing. If the rest of your females smell and taste like you, I might think twice before refusing your…kind…offer.” His eyes opened, and a shiver went through her.

Lance met his brother’s eyes and drew Kenna away from the feral-looking wolf. “Let’s get you back into Dumont territory, little one. It’ll be dark soon.”

* * * * *

It was full dark when the brothers halted just out of sight of the main compound, and Kenna drew a deep breath of relief. “I want to thank you for helping me. I’m truly indebted to you.”

“Are, you truly, sweet one?” Blade’s deep voice was almost a growl as she felt his hands slide around her hips, pulling her firmly back against his long, warm body.

“Brother, you are inviting Armageddon.” Lance’s soft growl warned the younger wolf.

“I ask nothing but a small reward. If she admits her debt to us, I
will
take my due.”

Kenna stiffened, her heart pounding in fear as the male wrapped both arms around her and breathed deeply against the side of her throat. Forcing the words to emerge from her tight throat, she gasped, “Um…what reward do you expect?”

She prayed to God that he wasn’t going to ask her for sex.

Lance growled, and reached to stop his brother, but she shook her head and lifted a trembling hand to touch Blade’s face where it pressed to the side of hers. “Tell me. If it is something I can give, I will do it. I repay my debts.”

His lips touched her ear, and sharp teeth grazed her earlobe as he growled softly, “A kiss, Kenna Dumont. I want to feel your sweet lips on mine. I will cherish knowing that I have been gifted with this small favor from one such as you…”

Kenna blinked in shock at his simple request. Without a word, she turned in his arms and wrapped hers around his neck, rising onto her toes to press a soft kiss to his generous mouth, threading her fingers into his long hair. He groaned deep in his throat and wrapped one arm around her waist as his other hand pulled her against his trembling body.

Lance pressed his long form firmly against her back, and nuzzled aside her heavy hair to lick her shoulder gently. “Gods help us…brother, we need to leave her before we both get chewed up and spit out.”

Kenna turned to wrap Lance in her arms, and kissed him, too. She felt no lust in either male…just the desperate need for closeness. Their arms loosened, and she ran a hand from Lance’s shoulder to his heart, turning to do the same with Blade. “You are wonderful males. Strong and protective. We could use more like you if you would join us. You will always be welcome here. Again, my deepest thanks for your kindness. But I must go and let them know I’m safe…”

The brothers watched her walk quietly out of the trees in front of the compound gates, the imprint of her small hands on their chests, burning even through the heavy flannel of their shirts. Lance turned and dissolved into the trees, leaving his brother to follow as he wished. Never had either brother believed that the legend would become a reality. That she would bestow a small part of her burning spirit on them.

For Blade, her gently willing touch had calmed his boiling rage for vengeance. For Lance, her sweet kiss and the pressure of her hand on his chest had reassured him that his brothers and he at last had found a home.

They had been touched by an angel…

* * * * *

A shout was raised from the gate, and moments later, Kenna was surrounded by frantic pack members checking to see if she was harmed. A few took one whiff, and sent for the pack doctor. “Nothing happened…I’m okay…where are my mates?” She caught Friona by the shoulders and stared into the female’s tear-filled eyes to reassure her that she was well.

“They took a dozen enforcers and are scouring the forest for you. When it was told that you followed Sheba from the enclosure, and didn’t return, they went wild.” The she wolf gestured toward the pile of clothing beside the gate, and Kenna knew they had all shifted to track her more quickly.

Several protectors that had been left to guard the compound approached with the physician, and she held up her hands to calm everyone. “I’m okay…no one harmed me. Please…will one of you go find the searchers and tell them I am fine?”

The males sniffed deeply, and lips curled viciously to show sharp teeth. She knew that they wouldn’t believe she hadn’t been forced until she told them what happened out there. She drew a deep breath and looked into the physician’s green eyes. “Truly, I haven’t been touched by anyone. The wolves you are scenting rescued me when I wandered too far from our territory trying to follow Sheba. They treated me with the greatest respect. Please believe that. They would never have harmed me.” She glanced from male to male. “They instantly knew that I was carrying, and treated me like a queen.”

They males seemed to debate her words silently, then with a curt nod, one of the males stripped and shifted to find the searchers. The physician leaned closer and took a deep sniff, and let out a sigh of relief. “She has no scent of recent sex. And her scent as a carrying female is extremely strong.” He announced loudly to alleviate the worries of the surrounding pack members, but then he gently took her arm and led her back to the big house as the crowd dispersed, except for the two males who followed closely. When they were inside the foyer, he turned to her and frowned.

“They did not violate you, but I scent that they touched you more than just protectively. I smell saliva on your skin. Did they molest you in any way?” The eyes of the protectors were glued to her pink cheeks as she glanced from male to male.

She lifted her chin and drew herself to her tallest height. “They did not. I gave each male a kiss of gratitude for saving me. In the human world, where I came from before returning here, kissing someone as a platonic gesture of friendship is not unusual, nor is it looked down upon. If any one of you had rescued me, I would not have hesitated to thank you in such a manner. Do you understand?” Her eyes met each male’s squarely. Emotions flared in every gaze. It wasn’t something any wolf would take lightly, but she had no intention of letting them assume she was unfaithful to any of her mates.

After a long moment of silence so deep she could have cut it with a butter knife, the physician gave a short, self-deprecating laugh, and nodded sharply. “In that case, I will most certainly be expecting a kiss from our Alpha female as full payment for any services rendered. And don’t be surprised if you find dozens of our males striving to do every possible favor for you hoping for a similar reward.”

After a shocked moment, she heard the protectors give a collective sigh and the soft chuckling made her feel she’d made her point. “Bless you, Dr. Harris…” she breathed softly as she leaned close and planted a soft, smiling kiss on his cheek. “You are all my family now.”

The biggest of the males grinned suddenly and nudged the physician. “If Mace gets a whiff of you, he might try to take your head off. I suggest you go wash your face.”

She then did something that was totally unheard of in the pack. She reached out and briefly touched each male’s cheek and whispered gently, “For your love and kindness, I would readily die for each and every one of you. Never forget this…”

Red faces and amazed stares followed her as she climbed the stairs to her room. Little did Kenna know that her words and her touch had firmly cemented each male’s loyalty and undying love of her. To them, she was a treasure beyond price…their long-awaited queen. And she had bestowed on each male a rare gift.

Chapter Eleven

She stripped off her dirt-coated clothes and stepped into the big shower, sighing appreciatively as the heat of the spray soaked into her muscles and bones. She filled her loofah with the lilac-scented shower gel she adored, and thoroughly scrubbed her body until she felt squeaky clean and refreshed. She had just shoved her head under the spray and was reaching for the shampoo when the bathroom door opened so hard, it made her jump with shock.

The glass shower door slid aside and three very angry males were shucking their clothes as fast as they could, their gazes locked on her naked body. She dropped the shampoo bottle as Mace stepped into her personal space and shoved her back into the cool tiles behind her. “Where the fuck did you go, Kenna?” His growled question sent shivers through her as the others stepped into the enclosure and the glass door slid shut.

The steam was not as hot as the heat rising from their bodies as Dune and Gant reached out to secure an arm at each side of her. She opened her mouth to reply, and Mace took her mouth in a hot and deep kiss as her other mates bent to taste her dripping nipples. A vicious snarl reverberated against her lips as Mace drew back and stared down at her with an expression akin to agony.

“Who is he, Kenna? Who dared to kiss you? He’ll live only long enough to feel his nuts being torn from his body and stuffed down his throat!”

The others lifted their heads to stare in shock at her as Mace encircled her throat with one huge hand. Dune caught Mace’s wrist and his voice was low and angry. “She’s home, brother…there’s no need to threaten her.”

Kenna stiffened, feeling her mate’s rage flow over her like a river of blood. She just stared up into those emerald green eyes, and willed him to stop and calm down. If he had reason to believe she had been unfaithful, he and his brothers had the right, under pack law, to set her aside and take the pups from her when they were born. They could kill her outright, or banish her once she gave birth.

Gant gently tugged his brother’s fingers from her throat, and inserted his big body between Mace and Kenna. “Chill, brother. She belongs to all of us…not just you. And I would like to hear what made her leave the compound, and what happened when she was gone.”

Kenna swallowed hard, and leaned into Gant’s massive frame, shaking like a leaf. Her eldest mate caressed her cheek and bent to look into her wide eyes. “Finish your shower and we’ll discuss this when we have all settled down a bit.” Then he lifted his gaze to Mace and said “And we’ll allow you to explain without threats…”

He bent and retrieved the shampoo, and when she couldn’t keep hold of it, he gently opened it and shampooed her hair for her, while Dune quickly bathed and stepped out to get towels. Mace simply stood with his back to the shower wall, staring at the drain as the shampoo bubbles swirled around and vanished. Dune held a large bath sheet out as Gant helped Kenna out of the shower, and between the two of them, she was dry and curled up on Gant’s lap on the edge of the big bed, with Dune gently finger-combing the tangles out of her towel-dried hair.

Kenna clung wearily to Gant’s big body as he gently rocked her and pressed his lips to her forehead, murmuring that everything would be okay. But somehow, Kenna knew that she would never have the same close relationship with Mace as before. The pain in his eyes…the accusation…and then the hand squeezing her throat. Those were things she would never be able to get out of her mind.

He hadn’t even given her a chance to explain what had happened. He had simply assumed that she was guilty of something nefarious. And she would never get rid of that fear.

She fell asleep in Gant’s arms, and when she woke a few hours later, Dune and Gant were the only ones in the bedroom with her. Mace was gone. She glanced around the darkened room, and tears slid down her cheeks as she buried her face in the curve of Gant’s bare shoulder.