by Sky Winters
He sighed.
“Listen, I know this isn’t what you imagined love to be like. And hell, I’d be surprised if you ever ended up being in love with that shithead kid of mine. But this is for the good of the pack, you know that, right?”
“I...I know,” said Lexi.
“And think about it—my kid’s a dumbass, sure, but he’s strong and brave. You, you’re smart as they come. A kid between the two of you...it might be just what this pack needs, right?”
“I suppose.”
He let out a wry snort. “I know—it’s hard. But don’t you worry. As long as I’m around, I’ll make sure Chad doesn’t get too far out of line. You have my promise on that, OK?”
They stopped in front of Lexi’s house.
“OK,” she said. “And...thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now, get to bed.”
She opened the door and stepped inside, the house quiet. Rick gave her one more nod before heading out, Lexi shutting the door behind him.
She hurried to bed, climbing under the covers and turning off the lights. And all she could think about was how much Rick was right—this sure as hell wasn’t how she imagined love to be.
She began to wonder what she could do.
CHAPTER 3
JASON
Jason Rainbringer stood at the edge of the Thundertooth pack grounds, suitcase in hand.
Isn’t this the time I’m supposed to think, “It’s good to be back?” Because it sure as hell doesn’t feel that way.
A wry grin was on his face, his grass-green eyes hidden behind designer sunglasses he’d bought during his years in Seattle. He was tall and wide-shouldered, with a broad chest and cut jaw, with features to match. Jason was dressed in black jeans and a gray button-up, white sneakers on his feet.
And all he could think about was how much he didn’t want to be there.
Not to mention how much he didn’t want to go through with his arranged marriage.
He checked his watch, seeing it was a little after eight. The camp was beginning to come alive, a few of the other members of the pack leaving their cabins and taking in the fresh morning air. Some of them greeted Jason as he passed, Jason giving back slight waves as he made his way to his family cabin. He had his own place but stopping home to see the family, to let them know he was back in town, seemed like the right thing to do.
When he reached the front door, he paused, not wanting to go inside, not wanting to see his family. To Jason, the pack, the family, and everything else meant nothing more to him than responsibility. And the last thing he wanted was to be tied down.
No sense in putting it off, he thought.
But before he opened the door, he glanced off in the direction he’d come.
I could just go back to the station, take the bus right back to Seattle. Sure, I’d be walking out on my marriage, but they’d probably get over it. Right?
He smiled at the thought. Seattle had everything he could possibly want—parties, girls, fun. And “fun” to Jason mostly meant girls. He loved how easily he swept up human women, how they all seemed to be irresistibly drawn to his animal magnetism as if they could all sense how dangerous he was without him even needing to shift.
With another sigh, he put all of that out of his head. He knocked on the door, letting everyone inside know he was there, then he stepped in.
“I’m ho-ome!” he said as if he were on some fifties sitcom.
But no one was there. He stood in the entrance to his family home, letting his suitcase drop out of his hand and onto the floor.
“Hello? Long-lost favorite son here,” he said. “Back from the big city with all sorts of stories of action, excitement, and adventure.”
He knew he was only talking shit—his time in the city had been to work, to be a part of one of the pack businesses that some of the other members of the Thundertooth bears had established to bring money into the tribe. It’d been mostly business, but he’d made more than a little bit of time for fun.
And more importantly, it’d given him a taste for the world outside of the pack grounds.
All he wanted was to see more.
“In here!” His dad’s familiar bellow came from the other room.
“Uh, wasn’t exactly expecting a welcome home party, but...”
He stepped through the familiar living room, decorated in non-descript furniture and tacky wall art. It was drab and simple, reminding him of the life he wanted to leave behind.
Sure enough, his family was in the kitchen. It was his father Jared, his mother Amy, and his older brother, Eric. They were all eating breakfast—steak and eggs—his father reading the paper, his mother playing on her phone, and his brother flipping through his iPad. Not one of them looked up at him as he entered.
“Uh, hey family!” he said, adding some forced enthusiasm to his voice. “Great to see you all, too!”
“Sit down,” his father said, folding the paper in half and setting it down on the table.
“Aw, come on, Pops—not even a hug?”
Jared was tall and built like a refrigerator, with small dark eyes and a shaved head. He wore his usual flannel shirt and baggy jeans. Amy was petite and slender and pretty, a former omega who’d been paired with Jared back when they were both barely into adulthood—far younger than Jason’s twenty-four. And Eric was dressed in gym shorts and an oversized shirt, his bulging muscles sleeveless.
“Welcome back,” said Jared, as if getting it out of the way. “Now, sit down.”
Jason dropped into the open chair, Eric giving him a shit-eating grin.
“What’s so funny?” asked Jason.
“Your face,” said Eric.
“Wow, good one,” said Jason. “You know, just because you’re eighteen doesn’t mean you have to act like a total teenage shithead cliché.”
“Whatever,” said Eric, letting out a snort as he spoke.
Eric could drive Jason crazy, but he’d always loved his little brother and looked out for him whenever he could. With his mother more concerned about their social standing than raising the family, and his father never seeming interested in parenthood, it often came down to Jason to look after his brother.
“What’s going on?” asked Jason. “What’s with the ultra-serious mood?”
His father narrowed his eyes. “Because I spoke with your Uncle Stone in Seattle.”
“Oh, did you?” asked Jason. “And let me guess—he gave me a glowing review.”
“Hardly,” said Jared. “He said you were busy chasing human women and screwing around.”
“Jared,” said Amy. “Please don’t use that kind of language at the table.”
Jared waved his hand through the air.
“My son went off to Seattle to do the important, necessary work of bringing money in for the pack. And instead of doing that, he spent his time trying to get laid.”
“Now,” said Jason, “that’s only partially true. I spend some of the time trying to get laid. The rest of the time, I busted my ass for Uncle Stone. Are you really telling me he said I was worthless?”
Jared narrowed his eyes, and Jason could sense that there was more to the story.
“Come on,” said Jason. “What did he really say?”
“That doesn’t matter,” said Jared. “I heard about you screwing around, and that canceled out all the rest.”
“Wait, are you serious?” asked Jason. “You heard how I was far and away the most profitable member of the holding firm, how I made so much money for the pack that we’re not going to have to worry about finances for the next two years, and you’re telling me that all doesn’t matter because I had some fun on the weekends?”
“You’re not going to take a tone like that with me in my house,” said Jared.
Eric snickered.
“I’m not taking a tone; I’m sticking up for myself.”
“And I don’t want to hear it. When you’re out in the world, you’re expected to conduct yourself like a respectable member of this p
ack. If the other clans, the city clans, see you acting like some shithead playboy out there, they’re going to think we’re soft, that we’re an easy target. And when you’ve got three packs coming down on you, wanting nothing more than to wipe you off the face of the Earth, you tell me how far money gets you.”
“We’re not going to be attacked by anyone,” said Jason. “Dad, we’re the strongest pack in the region by far. And with Rick as the alpha, we’re in an even better position.”
Jared shook his head. “Spoken like a kid who’s never seen war. I didn’t send you to the city to get soft, kid. I sent you there to get a new appreciation for what we have here, and how important it is to defend it. I wanted you to see that the world’s a dangerous place and that you can’t let your guard down for a second. Instead, looks like the only thing you learned was that human women are easy when you’re a shifter. Stupid fucking move on my part.”
“Jared,” said Amy, gently chiding him.
“The boy needs to hear it. He’s one of the alphas of the pack, and there might come a time when he’s going to have to lead. Not to mention he’s getting married in a month.”
Jason couldn’t help but scoff. “Are you serious? There’s Rick, and Rick’s got a son. And I bet when it comes to alpha succession, I’m not anywhere near the top. I’ll never be in charge—not like I even want to be.”
“And there you go again,” said Jared. “Always avoiding responsibility.”
“Or,” said Jason. “Or, I’m being realistic. We’re strong, and no one’s going to beat us. And when you’re in our position, you need to go out into the world and see what’s out there. That’s why...”
Jason took a deep breath, knowing what he had to say next wasn’t going to be easy. But it was what he wanted.
“That’s why I want to leave again.”
“What?” asked Jared.
“I want to leave again. But this time, I don’t want to just go to Seattle. I want to go to LA to be a part of the shifter world there.”
“And do what?” asked Jared. “Screw around, but in better weather?”
“No—I want to make money, make a name for myself. What’s the point of having a strong clan if we’re just...stuck out here in the middle of the woods? The world needs to know about the Thundertooth pack, and I’m going to be the one to spread our name.”
Jared laughed derisively. “Bullshit. You want to sleep around and avoid doing the hard work it takes to be a member of a pack. I see right through this shit, kid. And no, you’re not going to fucking LA. It’s not going to happen, so get it out of your head right now.”
“But that’s where the money is, Dad,” Jason said. “If I could go there and start a business, establish my name, then I could make this pack a fortune.”
“Money doesn’t matter,” he said. “Not a damn bit. You being here, being a part of this pack, that’s what matters. And besides, you’re set up to marry Maddie Blackclaw. If you think you’re going to get out of that, you’ve got another thing coming.”
Jason scoffed. “Dad, have you ever even seen the two of us together? We’ve got about as much chemistry as a wolf and a dragon.”
“That doesn’t matter. You don’t get married for chemistry; you get married because you’re the right age, and because it’s the will of the pack. And you’re damn well past the right age. It’s about time for you to do your duty instead of running around with humans.”
“You’re so damn stubborn,” said Jason. “Set in your ways.”
“You can think whatever you want,” said Jared. “But here’s what’s going to happen—you’re going to stay here. Then you’re going to marry Maddie and imprint. Then you’re going to have kids. You’re so concerned about making the pack stronger? Then that’s how you’re going to do it. And that’s why you’re getting married. I’ll be damned if my son wastes his best years screwing human women in Seattle.”
“Bullshit,” said Jason, standing up. “Just because that’s what you did doesn’t mean it’s what’s right for me. I know what I’m good at, and I know how I can serve the clan. Don’t take out your bitterness on me for not getting out there and seeing the world when you had the chance.”
But Jared said nothing, instead staring hard at Jason.
Jason couldn’t figure out what effect, if any, his words had.
“Screw this,” said Jason.
With that, he got up and stormed out of the room, then out of the house, grabbing his bag on the way out.
When he was outside, he stood still, letting the anger and frustration flow through him. His father was stubborn, he thought. And he knew he was right.
“Yo.”
Jason turned to see Eric at the entrance of the house.
“Nice welcome back,” he said.
Jason shook his head.
“The old man doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about,” he said.
“Maybe. But it’s not like you’re going to talk him into anything. You should know by now what he’s like when he gets an idea in his head.”
“Yeah, nothing makes him change his mind.”
Eric shifted on his feet as if he wanted to say something he didn’t know quite how to put into words.
“Uh, anyway, it’s good to have you back. Been boring without you.”
“Thanks,” said Jason. “But I’m serious about leaving.”
“Yeah, I bet. But...what are you doing tonight?”
“Was thinking about going to Marley’s and getting drunk. Why?”
“Because there’s going to be a party tonight. Some of the alphas are throwing a kegger out in the woods. A few other bears from some of the other packs are going to be there. Might be fun.”
“And Mom and Dad know you’re going?”
He laughed. “No way. I’m sneaking out. But you don’t have to.”
“Then maybe I ought to tell them you’re going.” Jason grinned, showing he wasn’t serious.
“Then you won’t know where it is.” Eric grinned right back.
“All right, fine. When is this thing?”
“Midnight. I can meet you at your place if you want.”
Jason considered it, thinking that it might be good to get out and be around some people instead of staying home and being pissed.
“Yeah, that sounds good. See you then.”
“See you.”
With that, Eric headed back inside. Jason, bag in hand, went back to his cabin. By this point, the camp was alive, other members of the pack saying “hi” and “welcome back” as Jason passed, a few trucks starting up and heading into the woods.
And Jason spotted a few of the women in the pack, all of them looking Jason up and down with the same sensual eyes.
All right, maybe the old man wasn’t wrong about wanting to get laid. But fuck, I’m an alpha. Am I just supposed to ignore how every woman in the shifter and human world wants me? Nope—I’m going to have my fun. Maybe settle down someday down the road.
But not now.
As he neared his cabin, he spotted one of the other women in the pack.
And this one nearly caused him to drop his bag.
She was long and lean, wearing a pair of cut-off jean shorts and a barely-there crop top, her flat stomach on display. She had wavy black hair, blue eyes, and fair skin. Her lips were blood-red, her breasts perfect, and her hips curvy and wide.
He felt all the blood in his body rush to his cock, and all he could think about was running over and rutting like an animal. Jason had seen plenty of beautiful women, human and shifter, over the years. But this one was something else.
And more than that, she looked strangely familiar.
“Jason?” she asked, cocking her head to the side as she spoke.
Then it hit him.
It was little Lexi Blackclaw, the awkward omega he and his friends had teased constantly when they were younger.
And she’d grown up.
Before he could say anything, a few other women hurried over and began ta
lking to her, the group moving away from where she’d stood.
Lexi looked at Jason over her shoulder as she left, and all he could do was stare.
Then a grin formed on his lips. He had a feeling his time back was about to get very, very interesting.
CHAPTER 4
LEXI
She couldn’t believe it was him.
Had that really been Jason Rainbringer?
He’d been gone for years, some members of the pack wondering if he would ever return. Gone to Seattle—that’d been all she’d heard.
But that morning, she was certain she’d seen him.
And he looked as hot as ever. Tall, built, that cocky smirk on his face that she’d seen a million times before back when she was younger.
It had to have been him.
Lexi was conflicted. On the one hand, she was attracted to him like crazy. Jason had always been gorgeous, but the years that had passed since she’d seen him had only done him favors. Rather than the lean, boyishly good-looking kid she’d known back in the day, he was broad and built and handsome—like a man should be.
But there was the little detail that back when they were kids he’d been nothing but a total prick to her, always making fun of her and Shana with his friends, calling her gawky or awkward or whatever other cruel names they could think of.
She sighed as she stepped back into her house, her parents on the couch. Her father was reading, her mom, Melody, folding laundry on the coffee table. Both glanced up as she entered.
“Hey,” she said, planning on hurrying past to her room.
“Hold up, Lex,” said her father, Sharpe, his voice stern and commanding. She knew right away that he had something to talk to her about.
And she knew without a doubt what it was.
“What?” she asked, putting on her best innocent tone.
“Kiddo,” he said, pointing to the chair across from him. “Sit down.”
Busted. She wasn’t supposed to have been out last night and had hoped when Rick had brought her home, she’d be able to slip in undetected. It was looking to her like this wasn’t the case.
Lexi sat down, the eyes of her parents on her, Mom folding the clothes without breaking her stare.
