When a Pack Dies (16 page)

Out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed Officer Wally Pierce’s puppy-like, adoring expression as he stared at Suzanne.

“Shut up, Pierce,” Suzanne barked, even though the young officer hadn’t said a word. He flinched like he’d been shot, dipped his head and disappeared down the hall.

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*
   
*

“...ass as flat as a pancake. You
know
he likes some meat to dig his hands into when he’s humping...”

Fina turned a wooden smile up to Cutler and kept pushing pieces of spinach salad around her plate. The café was unnaturally busy today. Bodies were squashed into booths and extra chairs stuck out from the ends of tables. The whispers had been quiet at first, preceded by haughty, even angry looks. Whenever Fina looked, she saw unmated women glaring at her with perfectly made-up eyes. She stared back for as long as it took for them to break eye contact. Either that or they’d pretend to be distracted by something their friends said. Something that was harsh, insulting, and aimed at Fina.

The whispers were now loud enough that Cutler couldn’t pretend he didn’t hear. He touched her hand, wrapped his thick fingers around hers in sympathy then released her and sat back. This was her fight. For him to interfere would be to diminish her. Fina had to claim her own rank within his pack. He couldn’t carve one out for her and expect the others to respect it.

“Hello, Cutler.” Two beautiful women in their mid-twenties walked past their table. Not even bothering to acknowledge Fina’s presence, they brushed their bodies against his.

Fina growled, angry and loud enough to make her point. The women moved on. Still, it was an unsubtle challenge to her position as his mate. Finally giving up all pretence of eating, Fina leaned over Ryan, wiped his mouth with a napkin and sent him over to the ball-pit to play. She squared her shoulders and stood.

“I’m going to the ladies room,” she told Cutler quietly, knowing the wolf ears filling the café could hear.

“You’re, um, sure?” Cutler glanced around nervously. Everywhere he looked, he saw women he’d had sex with at one time or another—in wolf and human form. Damn. He hadn’t realized there had been that many and two more from the next county over had just walked in the door.

Fina bared her teeth in a parody of a smile. “Time to get this show on the road. May the toughest bitch win,” she purred in a tone too quiet for anyone but him to hear.

Something flashed in Cutler’s eyes at her words. Pride perhaps, with a touch of resignation. Mostly he just looked confident and Fina lifted her chin and headed for the washrooms.

From the other side of the café, a harried-looking Dorothea Pike watched Fina. The older woman gulped then gave Fina a nod and a reassuring smile before turning back to her customers. Fina wasn’t surprised to hear chair after chair scrape the floor in her wake, then the gathering sounds of footsteps—high heels, flats, boots and trainers—follow her down the hallway leading to the washrooms.

She took care of business quickly, looked at her hard, determined eyes in the mirror as she washed her hands then threw open the door to the hallway.

“Hello girls,” Fina snarled at no one in particular. “Got a bone to pick?” Her eyes raked over the women lining both sides of the hall. The door drifted shut behind her.

“Yeah,” one woman, taller than most of the others, pushed away from the wall and planted her high-heeled feet directly in Fina’s path. “Whelp,” she snarled dismissively. In her late twenties, she was probably five-nine or ten but her heels put her at over six feet of long, lean muscle. She had short, black hair and blue eyes. They sparkled with malice under the fluorescent lights. Hands planted on hips, she stared down at Fina. “You’re not welcome, stray. Oh sure your little sob story about your pack being taken over softened up Cutler, but that doesn’t make the dogs who spawned you any less weak and pathetic.”

Fina snarled and stood so close to the woman that their breath fluttered each other’s hair.

“Yeah, yeah...keep it in your pants, bitch,” the woman taunted dismissively. Several of the women around them chuckled. She poked Fina in the chest with a short, polished fingernail. “You’re a baby. A cub. Cutler and his pack need a real woman.” She smiled and it was full of venom. “Not some skinny, underdeveloped weakling.” Blue eyes raked Fina’s body dismissively. “I know he likes to put his hands on a woman with some meat on her bones. Likes to feel something round and soft against that nice, hard body of his when he lays a woman down.”

The corner of Fina’s mouth twitched then curved up slowly into a knowing smile. She felt the corners of her eyes crinkle.

“Funny...he liked it best when I laid
him
down. Just this morning in fact.” Her smile widened and the woman’s haughty expression faltered. “Oh. I’m sorry. I guess
you
never had the balls to throw him down on his back, mount him and make him howl.” Her eyes left the woman’s. It was a calculated risk. Sure the taller and obviously stronger woman could flatten Fina with a single punch but looking away when they were standing so close told her and every woman standing around them that Fina wasn’t intimidated. Fina scanned the other faces. About half of them looked away immediately. After the second pass, only four were still looking at her. One by one they looked away, except for the black-haired woman standing directly in front of Fina.

With a dismissive snort as her only warning, Fina shoved at the woman’s shoulders with all her strength. The woman skittered backward on her heels then flopped down on her ass. From the floor, she glared up at Fina.

“Get out of my way, bitch,” Fina growled. “If that’s all you’ve got, I’d say we’re done here.”

The woman’s pale eyes flashed. Rage and indignation were replaced by calculation as she looked around the hallway at the other women, obviously searching for support. One by one, the other women subtly tipped their bodies away, exposing their flanks to Fina and keeping their line of sight well away from hers. They were here to intimidate, to take the measure of their Alpha’s mate. To see if she had what it took to lead their pack alongside him. It seemed only one of them was actively looking to challenge Fina for that position. Today anyway.

The woman scrambled to her feet but she was hampered by her heels and hobbled by her skirt. Fina had no trouble grabbing her upper arms and slamming her back into the wall. Bodies scurried out of the way before they got pinned behind her.

Jumping up, Fina landed a solid head smash into the woman’s forehead. The pine panel behind the woman cracked. She wobbled and her eyes teared up.

“I can go for hours, bitch,” Fina hissed. Adrenaline and the knowledge that, for now, Ryan’s rank would be tied to hers fueled Fina’s determination. That and growing up the youngest of four, squabbling siblings meant that Fina was going to hold her own in this fight. She grabbed the woman by the throat and squeezed.

Being top bitch wasn’t all about strength. Neither was being Alpha for that matter, although holding your own in a fight went a long way in their world. Leadership was more about having an inborn ability to lead. Having more of it than anyone else. A select few had the ability to take command of a situation, of a group just by showing up. They were smart, focused, ruthless when they had to be and they didn’t back down from any challenge. They’d fight just like they faced any situation, full on, full out and believing that they had the biggest balls in the room. It didn’t mean they’d be good leaders but it meant that others submitted to their leadership.

Long fingers tipped with red lacquer flailed beside the woman until she tapped on Fina’s shoulders repeatedly. “All right,” the woman managed to choke out when Fina eased her grip.

“Hmm? Sorry. I missed that. Would you mind repeating yourself?” Fina taunted. She tightened her grip for two more seconds, pressing her fingers and thumb in behind the woman’s voice box. With cold determination, Fina showed the bitch and every woman standing around them that, if they’d met in wolf form instead of human form, she’d be ripping the challenger’s throat out. Fina eased her grip but didn’t move her fingers.

“Enough. Please,” the woman croaked. “You win, all right?” Warily, she glanced down at Fina then looked away. “Alpha,” she whispered to Fina then deflated visibly.

With a snarl, Fina released her. Luckily the women standing closest to her challenger caught the tall woman under the arms when her knees buckled. Women pressed back against the wall, making a lane for Fina to pass. She walked away but as she did, she deliberately shoved her shoulders into bodies. The other women grunted and moved aside obligingly. Still snarling, Fina muscled her way out of the hallway. No one else challenged her. She was ready for it, maybe even wanted it with all the adrenaline pumping through her but none of the other bitches met her eye.

Fina had proven herself tough enough, strong enough to be top bitch. To this group at least. She had no illusions about not being challenged again. Surely there were other bitches out there with a hankering for power and she was sure she’d be challenged in wolf form too. But that was a fight for another day. Fina also knew her victory was a sham. Yes she possessed the innate talent, the character and strength to be a top bitch. She was also diminished. The rogues in Tennessee had ripped something out of the heart of her. Her head remembered what strengths she used to possess, knew how to exhibit them but it would only be a matter of time before this pack sniffed out the empty weakness inside her. Wolves had good intuition.

Until they did, she’d keep faking it, giving Ryan status and security until it was time to move on. He’d grow up with the innate strength of a natural-born Beta’s son, become even stronger as the surrogate son of an Alpha.

When she stepped back into the main area of the unnaturally quiet café, every eye in the place turned up to her. Cutler watched her too. She gave him the briefest of arrogant smiles then walked up to Dorothea Pike.

“My apologies for destroying some of the paneling back there, Dorothea,” Fina said quietly but deliberately. “Send me the bill. Please.” She turned and walked back to Cutler’s table.

“Did you have to fuck
every
woman in the county?” she hissed at him, pitching her voice for his ears only. For the first time, she saw Cutler flush. “Come on. Time for me to get Ryan home and time for you to get back to work. Stud,” she added with a sly grin and led the way back to the children’s play area.

Chapter Seven

“No I haven’t seen that one yet. I don’t go to movies much out here.”

The sound of Fina’s muffled voice drew Cutler to the shut door of the home office. He shifted the bag of hot take-out chicken to his other hand, stood still and listened.

“No! Really?” Fina laughed and it was a sound of pure, titillated joy.

Cutler grinned in response to the girlish sound of Fina’s laugh. He sometimes forgot how young she was. How much she’d had to grow up the past couple months.

“You’re such a flirt, Helen,” Fina gasped out between gales of laughter.

The back door slammed and Cutler heard Ryan race toward him, probably drawn by the smell of food...food that Fina hadn’t cooked.

“Hey, Cutler. You snooping?”

“Yes,” Cutler answered without a trace of shame. He handed the exuberant and slightly sweaty child the bag. “Take that into the kitchen, wash your hands and set the table.”

Ryan shot him a look of open defiance. It raised Cutler’s brows. When he growled quietly, Ryan took the hint, took the bag and took off toward the kitchen.

“She’s just talking to stupid Helen from back home. It’s just stupid girl stuff,” Ryan shouted with a hint of malice and enough volume there was no way Fina couldn’t hear.

The laughter on the other side of the door faded.

“I haven’t made up my mind about coming back for school.” Fina’s voice was quieter now, more mature. “Well I can attend lectures over the Internet. Yeah, I know...”

She sighed so quietly Cutler doubted the phone picked up the sound.

“Either way I’ll send post-dated checks to the landlord for my half of the rent this year. I won’t leave you high and dry.” There was a pause in the conversation. “I guess it
would
feel like I’m already leaving you. Yeah, it sucks but I appreciate how much you understand. It means a lot.”

With a resigned shake of his head, Cutler headed for the kitchen and the deliberately too-loud sound of slamming cupboards.

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“Thank you for taking him, Trudy.” Fina unsnapped the belt of Ryan’s booster seat then stood back for him to hop out of her vehicle. Ryan grabbed his backpack. It held a few of his favorite toys, a change of clothes and his toothbrush. He ran to the front door of Trudy’s home.

“My pleasure,” Trudy answered with a grin. “Koby’s been bugging me to ask if he and Ryan could have a sleepover.” She lifted her thin, slightly harried face up to the morning sunshine and her smile widened. “Thank goodness summer break will be over in a few weeks. The kids were driving me crazy until they found out Ryan was coming to visit.”

Grinning, Fina looked up at Cutler’s childhood friend. She hugged the older woman affectionately and climbed back into her vehicle.

“Hey!” Trudy’s piercing, Mom voice ricocheted down the driveway as she headed back to the house. “What did I tell you about climbing on the porch rail? When you break your legs, don’t come running to me...”

Her grin widening, Fina shook her head, turned the ignition and drove away.

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“Hey, sweetheart.” Leaning against the doorframe of the study, one long leg crossed casually over the other, Nathaniel grinned down at Fina.

She looked up from the computer and smiled. Nath’s blue eyes were brighter than usual and that was saying something. His smile was warm, loving, maybe even a touch naughty. He scented the air in the house slowly.

“Ryan...?” he asked, deliberately letting his voice trail off.

“At Trudy’s, having a sleepover.”

“Ah.” If anything, his smile widened. His dimples looked extraordinarily tasty today. He tucked his thumbs into the pockets of his hiking shorts. The movement made Nath’s broad shoulders flex then drew her eye to his lean hips and the very nice musculature of his tanned legs. “And you and Cutler...while I was away...” The curve of his full, sensual mouth flattened for a moment. “Mated.”