Nicholai makes eye contact with both of us before he continues. “The reason for the urgency in telling you this information is complex. Many things have to happen at once. We have to start preparing immediately so that we can defend you and ourselves. Those who want to destroy you are already planning their attack. No one should be aware, at this point, of Ashley’s involvement. The threats should only be directed at you and the pack for now, but that window is small. Before we can strategize our defenses, all alphas must choose their allegiance. Every alpha in the world has already decided if they’re for you or against you.”
Nicholai looks around the table at the other council members.
They all stand at once. “We pledge our allegiance to you. We will protect and defend you and your pack at all costs. Our pack is now your pack.” Each of the men speaks the words and bows their heads to Ashley and me.
I’m still trying to process everything that has been said. Do I feel differently? I don’t think so. I look over to Ashley and smile. She returns the gesture. I’m not sure what I think.
“Life will continue much as it always has, but we have to be prepared, always. When I leave here, I’ll be going to get the person who hired me to watch you.” Nicholai hesitates, not looking away from me.
For the first time, I don’t like what I’m hearing. I’m suspicious, and my guard goes up. He knows it. He can feel my intensity. I shift in my seat, the tension in the room is rising. I feel everyone’s eyes on me, waiting.
Nicholai doesn’t move. Our eyes locked as he continues. “Jack, please let me explain. A witch hired me many years ago. She’s the one who saw a prophetic vision of all this coming about. The same story Doc told us earlier. She narrowed down the candidates to three alphas. There was no way to determine who the female would be. I was hired to watch you and become friends. Then it became a waiting game.
“Although I was hired to do this, my friendship, trust, and loyalty have been true. Regardless of how you feel now, I will always be a member of your new pack, and I will protect you and Ashley, even if it costs me my life. Snowbie, the witch, wants to be here to help you and Ashley transition into your new roles. She’s not far, but I have to drive. It should only take two days.” Nicholai waits for me to respond.
I don’t know what to think. This is a lot of information. As I try to process everything, I feel Ashley’s hand on my arm. I look up and she’s standing beside me. I push my chair back and pull her onto my lap. She wraps her arms around my neck and lays her head on my shoulder. I don’t know what it’s supposed to feel like when you are mated, but I like how this feels. Her touch gives me comfort, and I feel stronger.
I think I already knew something was different about Ashley. Not anything specific, just an overall feeling. I knew that the two of us together would be greater than the whole. I don’t know how I knew that, but I felt it. It was the something in the back of my mind that didn’t fit, did not make sense. That one piece I kept trying to find the answer to. It explains why my mate is a human. I said as much to Doc when we were at his house.
From the second I met her, I knew she would be my mate. What I was trying to understand and the reason for my hesitation was this bigger purpose. Can I refuse this? No, it’s not a choice. Whether it seems like it or not, it’s a gift. An honor. Every decision we make affects the whole world, not just shifters or my pack. With Ashley by my side, we’ll take it one day at a time, one obstacle at a time. There’s a lot to do and prepare for. We need to rethink our defense strategy. More mates will be coming into the fold, so we need to plan on expansion now.
I move into my alpha male role to direct and protect my pack. Which has just expanded to include a lot more people. “We’ll have to meet with Charlie in the morning. Warn him to expect more people showing up in town. More shifters for sure and probably more humans. Not all will be friendly. We’ll need to come up with a plan for how to handle that without too much disruption. Probably organize a town meeting to tell everybody what’s going on.”
I look away from Nicholai. “Tanner, you’re going to need to make this house and property a priority. Get what you need and get it done. Get AJ to help. Building up our defenses now takes precedence. Gabe will probably need your help in town as well.”
I take a deep breath and continue. “Nicholai, I want someone to go with you to get this witch. You can take a truck. Max, figure out who you can spare for two days. I take it that this witch is going to want to stay here with us. We’ll need to figure out where to put her.”
I’m trying to think through everything and prioritize.
Ashley pats me lightly with her hand. “When I was looking at this house, the realtor told me about the property next door that has an old cabin on it. Maybe we can buy it and fix the cabin. It won’t happen quickly, but it’s something to think about. He said something about the road alignment shifted when it was going in and made the land unbuildable for anything bigger than the cabin’s footprint. It’s been abandoned for a long time.” Ashley looks nervous about adding her input. I need to work on building up her confidence.
“Good thinking. I forgot about that old cabin. It won’t be ready for the witch, but we could sure use the extra space. Grant, check on that. See if the land is for sale. You and Max go out there tomorrow and have a look at what kind of shape it’s in. Even if the cabin is a loss, the land isn’t. With the pack growing we’ll need it.” I rub Ashley’s back, trying to reassure her.
Ashley smiles. “Snowbie. He said her name was Snowbie. She might not like being called the witch.”
All this crazy information and she still smiles.
“Is there anything else that needs to be done tonight? A lot is going to happen tomorrow, and we all need to get some sleep. We can talk about it more in the morning. We need everyone’s input. If you have an idea, let’s hear it. Nicholai, what time do you want to leave?” I wait.
Ashley gets up from my lap to help Brooks. Breakfast is ready and she begins pulling out plates.
The council members step away from the table. Gabe speaks up. “Jack, we’re going to leave. Like you said, we have a lot to do. I’ll inform the guys at the station as they come on shift. We can start observing if any new people come into town now. Call if you need anything.”
Gabe pauses. “You know, Jack. You were already a high alpha. Think about it, you’ve had the lead spot in the council for years, being an alpha to all the other species in town, including the human mayor. This will just be on a bigger scale. Something to think about.”
Gabe says his goodbyes to everyone and leaves. One by one, the rest of the council members do the same.
Marvin turns around on his way to the door. “Jack, I can start flying a patrol over your property. Have some of the others do the same. No one really concerns themselves with what’s flying overhead. We can probably figure out a signal of some kind. Report back to whoever you have on the ground.” Marvin waits by the door for me to respond.
“That would be appreciated, Marvin. Thank you. I know it’s difficult when we don’t know what we’re looking for. I like the idea of a signal. We can figure it out together.”
Marvin smiles and nods goodbye.
Marvin Fuldrop is an eagle shifter. He’s been on the council as long as I have, and he’s a good guy. Smart and quick. He’s always watching, and details do not escape him. As a man, he’s smaller than the rest of us, thinner and leaner. As an eagle, he’s big and dangerous. He’s right about one thing. Most people, including shifters, forget about the winged predators. They live undetected most of the time.
Back in the kitchen, everyone is sitting down to eat breakfast. Now that it’s just us and Nicholai, I’m curious about everyone’s mood. It seems pretty normal. Jokes, some laughing, everyone eating. It feels good. The guys are questioning Nicholai. Apparently, Ashley will know their mates are coming before they arrive. She says she doesn’t know anything about it, so we’ll have to wait and see.
Tomorrow is Sunday. We usually tak
e it easy on Sunday, but there’s too much to prepare for. We need to get those last two bedrooms done so that we can empty out the other house. Get it sold. There’s a newly formed young pack in town trying to fit into a small rented house. The old house is well suited for them. I’ll tell Grant about it.
I’m conflicted about Nicholai. Looking at the whole situation, I understand what he did and why. His actions were to benefit the greater whole, not just pieces and parts. I do trust him and believe him when he says that he will protect us. But on a friendship level, just the two of us, I feel betrayed. I know that I need to forgive him. Friendships outside the pack don’t come along that often. I’m glad I have his.
I noticed that Fred Sullivan wasn’t here with the other alphas. I’m not surprised that he’s against us. It has always been that way. That fox lies, cheats, steals, and who knows what else. I’m sure the list is long. My concern about Fred is that he knows a lot of people outside of our small town. The kind of people who will know danger is coming before we do. Only it won’t be danger to Fred, it’ll be opportunity. I’ll talk to Gabe and Tanner tomorrow. There has to be a way to watch him from a distance.
My mind is all over the place. I was calm earlier. What was it that settled me then? I hear Ashley laugh, and it interrupts my train of thought. That’s it. She calms me. I look over at my mate. My mate. I like how that sounds. I understand why they felt the need to knock on the bedroom door earlier. The interruption was justified, but I’m ready to get her back into bed. I know we need to get some sleep, but I’m not done claiming my mate.
CHAPTER 29
Ashley
Brooks and I are still cleaning the kitchen after our midnight breakfast. It goes quickly with the two of us doing the work. Most everyone has either gone to bed or is out on patrol. I can’t believe I didn’t notice them doing that last week. Jack said they were using the woodcutting as a decoy because it’s at the tree line. Max and Grant are in the office with Nicholai. They’re trying to figure out who’ll accompany Nicholai to New York.
I’m nervous about meeting Snowbie. I don’t think I’ve ever met a real witch before. She’s the one who claims that I’m special somehow. I don’t feel any different.
I have some ideas about where to put her when she gets here. Maybe in the basement. I hope Jack is OK with my input. I’ve never been one to sit back and keep my mouth shut.
I hear Jack come out of the bedroom. He walks up behind me while I finish wiping down the counter. He doesn’t say anything. He leans against me and buries his face in my neck, kissing me softly. He takes the rag out of my hand and guides me toward the bedroom. He’s still behind me, and as we walk through the door, he pulls my shirt off. I hear the door bang closed behind him.
“Take off your jeans, baby. I need you in bed, now.”
I look at Jack. He’s already pushing his jeans down and his eyes are glowing. I like it when his eyes glow.
Just as my pants hit the floor, I’m tackled to the bed. Jack has landed so that he’s on the bottom and I’m on top of him. I laugh as I push myself up. I straddle him and look into his eyes. He rubs my thighs and grabs my hips, squeezing me while I adjust my position.
“Are you ready for all this?” Jack looks too serious for bed.
“I am ready for all of it.”
I roll my hips around and lean into his cock. I move forward just enough for the tip to slide into my opening. As I lean back, he slowly pushes in. I maintain steady pressure until he’s all the way inside me.
Jack hisses through his teeth and grabs my hips tighter, holding me in place. After a few seconds, I start to move in a steady rhythm, up and down, while rolling and grinding my hips. I move my hands behind me, bracing myself on his thighs for support. My back is arched. We are still staring into each other’s eyes.
“Don’t stop, baby.” Jack starts to breathe hard.
I’m speeding up, and it’s becoming more difficult to maintain the rhythm. I feel my orgasm coming and my moans are getting louder.
Instantly, Jack sits up, wraps his arms around me, and spins us around. He’s now on top and takes control. He pumps hard and goes as deep as possible. My orgasm hits without warning, and his follows right behind mine. He falls onto me, his head buried in my neck. We are both out of breath and our hearts are pounding.
“That was not what I was talking about when I asked if you were ready. But I like the way you think.” He places tiny, soft kisses on my neck.
I start to giggle.
Jack pulls back and props up on his elbow. His other hand takes my breast and caresses it gently. I’m in love with how this man touches me. I don’t even know if that’s possible, but I am.
“I knew what you meant, Jack. And my answer is the same. I’m ready for all of it. I told you before. I choose you. I even said when we had our argument that this is bigger than just us. I get the feeling you knew that too.” I rub his biceps as I talk. I love his arms. I love touching them and I love them around me.
“I knew. I was trying to figure it all out. Have all the answers. Promise me something, Ashley.” He brushes the hair out of my eyes.
“You don’t have to ask me, Jack. Just talk to me. Include me.” I watch his face break into a smile.
“That’s exactly what I was going to ask. I’m used to being in charge. When I’m in work mode, I tend to get tunnel vision. Grant has mentioned it before. I want to include you, but I don’t know if I know how. Make me talk to you and keep you involved. If you feel out of the loop, tell me. We have to stay a team, always.” He stops talking, but I can tell there is more he wants to say.
He hesitates and then continues. “I’ve noticed that you get nervous before you voice your ideas or opinions. I don’t want you to be nervous. Your input is important. No idea is bad. You hear me? I want to know anything and everything you have to say. If climbing on top of me and waiting until my cock is buried inside you is the only way to get me to listen, then do it.”
He sounds so serious, and I start laughing.
“Don’t ignore me just to get me to do that.” I’m still laughing and he’s laughing now too. “I promise I will tell you what I’m thinking, and I’ll make sure you listen.” I lean in and kiss him. Slowly at first, but it intensifies.
Jack pulls away from the kiss. “Come on. Let’s get in the shower.”
◆◆◆
We just finished a really good shower. I’ve never been a fan of shower sex, but Jack has made me a believer. He’s already back in bed and I’m finishing up. The air is dryer here than in the South. I need to moisturize more often. I’m getting tired. This has been a long day full of extreme highs and lows. It will take some time to process all the information. Knowing that I’m not doing it alone is reassuring.
It’s time to tell Sarah about Jack. I can ease into the rest of the gang living here later. New relationships are always exciting, so that’s a good place to start. Tomorrow I’ll take a few pictures. Maybe Brooks will take one of Jack and me together. If she sees how happy I am with him, then she’ll feel better about it. She’ll know that I’m making a life here. She wants to come for a visit in the spring, anyway, so now is a good time to tell her.
I have a camera in one of the unpacked boxes. I think I’ll take pictures of all the wolves and the surrounding landscape. Fall is coming, and the colors of the leaves will be perfect. I can get them printed and framed. Maybe hang them as artwork around the house. No one will see them but us, and if someone does see them, we can just say that we like nature photography.
I asked Jack if I can see his wolf. He says we can do it tomorrow. I’m excited to meet the wolf who I got to know in my dreams. I want to walk through the woods with him, get to know the world from his perspective. I am his mate just as much as I’m Jack’s. They are one and the same. I’ll have to get used to that. Jack said that the mind speak will work better when he’s a wolf. Finally, a conversation with my wolf.
I thought about what Jack said earlier. About him not being abl
e to smell me, my scent. That it was the reason the intruder didn’t find my hiding place. I don’t think it was anything I did, but I’m not sure. Nicholai said that I will have powers. I don’t know how I feel about that yet.
It did get me thinking. Was it me or the hiding place that made me undetectable? While I was hiding in the closet, the box of dryer sheets fell off the shelf when I bumped it. Dryer sheets were all around the space and all over me. The whole box emptied out. Maybe something in the dryer sheets masked my scent.
This can easily be tested. I’m surrounded by super sensitive noses. I can rub myself down and try to sneak up on them. Easy enough. If the dryer sheets masked my scent, then this could be big. The possibilities are endless. Why has no one else figured this out?
I think I should test this theory in secret until I know if it works or not. I don’t like keeping it from Jack, but it will have to be a completely blind test for me to know for sure. If I can sneak up on Jack, then I’ll not only be masking my scent but his as well.
Jack has already come to my rescue twice, and earlier he stressed how the females in a pack are always protected. If dryer sheets can be used to mask a scent, then I would be contributing to our defense. I want to be more than just Jack’s mate. I want to earn the pack’s trust, and I need to earn my rightful place among them.
I crawl into bed beside Jack. I think he’s almost asleep. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me to him. He already told me his opinion of pajamas and panties, so I’m naked. I would have figured it out eventually. I don’t even know how many pieces of clothing were ripped to shreds over the past week. I’ve never been one to sleep naked, so I’ll have to get used to it. The feel of his naked body up against me is too good to be uncomfortable so I think it will be an easy adjustment.
As I drift off to sleep, I have one last thought: the world could be crumbling around us, but in this moment, we are perfect.
Delivered: (The Blackpaw Prophecy, Book 1) Page 20
