Protecting Honor

by Dena Christy

  His old self? Honor didn’t want to think about what that meant. Alex didn’t know what things were like between her and Rafe now. Their mating may have started out as a way to keep her safe, but they’d moved beyond that. They shared a bed every night, and with each passing day, their lovemaking grew more passionate. Deep down in her bones, Honor felt like her mating with Rafe was real and it would stay real once Barrett was no longer alpha and her reason for staying here was gone.

  She went to see if her other table wanted anything else, and tried as best as she could to keep busy while she waited for Logan to finish talking to Bobby. And she did her best to ignore what Alex had said. She wouldn’t look at him when she brought her table’s cups over for a refill of their drinks.

  “I spoke out of turn.” Alex’s voice was quiet as he put her drinks on her tray. “If it helps I think you’re the best thing that has happened to Rafe in a long time. And I don’t know what goes on between the two of you when you’re in private. You know him better than I do. I only meant that I hope you get what you want once this shit with Eden Creek is over.”

  “I know. I hope the same thing. I know Rafe’s reputation and I know that he only claimed me as his mate to protect me. I just can’t let myself worry about what will happen once the threat Barrett represents is over with. As of right now, Rafe is my mate and I’m going to hold on to that.”

  Honor swept up her tray and delivered the drinks to her table. Alex meant well, but he was right. He didn’t know what happened between her and Rafe in private. The mating between them felt real, and Rafe had stopped referring to it as temporary once they’d started sleeping together. She had to take that as a sign that no matter what happened in Eden Creek she and Rafe would be together.

  She went back to the bar where Logan was standing talking quietly to Alex. Her eyes darted to the booth where Bobby had been sitting, but there was no sign of him.

  “I’ve accepted Bobby and his family into the pack. You were right, he is a good man and I couldn’t tell him no. All he wants is to keep his family safe, and it’s pretty evident that he can’t do that in Eden Creek.” Logan wore a troubled look on his face and Honor’s stomach tightened.

  “But…”

  “I don’t think Bobby will be the last member of Eden Creek looking for sanctuary. And I have a feeling that there is going to be a confrontation with Barrett before this is all over.”

  Honor couldn’t help feeling that this mess was all her fault, and she didn’t know what she could say to Logan to make it right.

  “I really appreciate you doing this, Logan. And I’m sorry that I’ve brought so much trouble to your doorstep.”

  Logan smiled at her and it softened the hard planes of his face.

  “You can’t control the actions of other people. This would have happened sooner or later whether you were in Cold Bay or not.” He looked around the bar. “It’s pretty dead here, so if you want to take off you can. I’ll call if we need you to come back in.”

  A need for Rafe swept over her. She didn’t know if it was the worry over what would happen with them if the confrontation that Logan was predicting happened, or if she just needed the reassurance that being with him gave her. Whatever the cause she needed to see her mate. Unfortunately, he was working so she was going to have to stew in the house by herself until he came home.

  “Thanks, Logan.” She took off her apron and hung it on the hook behind the bar.

  Logan turned and walked toward his office. He paused when he was halfway there and turned his head to look at her. “Try not to worry so much Honor, things have a way of working themselves out.”

  She nodded and he walked into his office and shut the door behind him. Honor blew out a slow breath.

  “I’ll get Roger to put together some lunch for you. I’m sure your mate would appreciate a surprise visit from his woman.” Alex winked at her as he turned to talk to Roger through the pass through between the bar and the kitchen.

  She smiled gratefully at him because he’d unknowingly provided an excuse for her to go and see Rafe while he was at work. She was sure that Rafe wouldn’t have objected to her coming to see him while he was working, but her feelings felt so close to the surface that she needed the excuse of bringing him lunch to act as a shield to cover her need to be with him. She was getting in deeper with him with each day that passed, and she silently prayed that what she and Rafe were building together didn’t come crumbling down once the Eden Creek pack imploded.

  Rafe put his tape measure down when he heard a car pull up in the driveway. It was probably Grace coming to check on his progress on the house. He looked around with no small amount of pride at the almost complete kitchen. While the bones of the room remained the same, the guts were so completely changed that it looked like a different room from the one he’d started in. He was sure Grace would be happy with the progress he’d made.

  He turned and walked toward the front of the house when he heard the car door slam and footsteps come up the gravel driveway. When he got to the front door he drew back in surprise. It wasn’t Grace, but Honor who was walking toward the house.

  What was she doing here? His heart picked up speed and he went out onto the front porch. She smiled at him, but he could see there was a troubled look in her eyes.

  “What’s wrong?” His eyes swept her from head to foot but there didn’t seem to be anything out of place on her. But something must have sent her to him in the middle of the day when she was supposed to be working at Sawyer’s Place. He could see the collar of the red shirt she wore to work peeking through her slightly open coat, so he knew that she had gone to the bar. What would have sent her away from work and straight to him?

  “I brought you lunch.” She held up a white plastic bag that held two take-out containers. Her smile faltered for a second and she looked down at the ground. “Is it okay that I’m here? I can leave this with you and go home if it’s not.”

  “I’m glad to see you, come in.” He stepped forward and took the bag from her. The troubled looked didn’t leave her eyes, but he was sure she would tell him what was going on when she was ready.

  He leaned down and kissed her. Her scent filled his head, and something inside him eased. It was the same feeling he had when he was at home and she came into a room. The rightness of being with her settled inside him, and he tucked her close to his side as they walked into the house.

  He stepped away from her and put the food on the kitchen table that Grace had left in the house. It was sitting in the hall between the living room and the kitchen, but there was enough room for them to sit at it together.

  “I thought maybe you might want a break from a bagged lunch.” She pulled the containers out of the bag and gave him a shy smile. His breath got stuck in his chest for a second. God, she was so cute when she looked at him like that.

  “This is a nice break from my usual routine.” And he wasn’t just saying that because she looked unsure of herself. Only once before had a woman he’d been seeing come to see him in the middle of his workday and he’d found it annoying. He’d taken it as a sign that the woman was getting too clingy and he’d ended things with her shortly after that. It was different with Honor. He enjoyed having her here, and he didn’t want to look too deeply into why that was.

  She handed him a paper plate and some cutlery and they spent the next few minutes in silence as they served themselves some food. He waited while they ate in silence for her to tell him what was bothering her, but she picked away at her food, not saying a word.

  “So as much as I enjoy the company, I get the feeling that something other than bringing me lunch has brought you here.”

  “Things in Eden Creek are starting to spill into Cold Bay.” And he saw the worry in her eyes, and he wanted to take it away. She shouldn’t have to worry about anything, but he knew that Honor cared about the people in her old pack. It wasn’t in her nature to shrug and think that because she wasn’t a part of Eden Creek anymore that what happened the
re wasn’t her problem.

  “What happened?” He knew that Barrett hadn’t come back to Cold Bay to threaten her, because Logan would have called him. But something had happened to make her look so troubled.

  “Bobby Swan came to the bar. Do you remember him?”

  Rafe cast his mind back into the past. He did remember Bobby. He was a nice guy, very much a straight arrow, and the last person anyone would expect to cause trouble. But then Rafe hadn’t seen him in ten years and people change.

  “Did he cause a problem while he was there?” If the wolf had caused problems for Honor, Rafe would be paying him a visit.

  “Oh no. He left Eden Creek and was here to ask Logan if he could join the pack. Things are really getting bad. Barrett’s thugs tried to extort protection money from him and when he refused, they beat him up. He has a mate and two kids that he needs to protect, so he confronted Barrett and told him he wouldn’t go to the council if he let him go. His next stop was to come to the bar and ask me if I’d vouch for him.”

  “And did you?”

  “Yes, I talked to Logan. Then Logan talked to Bobby and agreed to let him join the pack. I have a feeling that Bobby won’t be the last member of Eden Creek to come to Cold Bay looking for help.” She pushed her plate away, with the food on it relatively untouched. Something more was bothering her than just Bobby coming to town.

  “Are you going to tell me what’s wrong?” He reached out and put his hand on hers. She took a deep breath and released it out slowly.

  “I’m just so angry and frustrated because I know there is nothing I can do to help them. Why does Barrett have to be such a dick? Why did he want to be alpha if he was going to treat people like this?”

  “I don’t know. Some people just want power for the sake of having it. I know that answer probably doesn’t make you feel better about what is going on, but it’s the best I can offer you.” He stroked his hand over hers, and she pressed her lips together as if she wanted to say more. He scooted his chair back slightly and pulled her out of hers so he could settle her in his lap. “Why don’t you tell me all of it? I know there is more to this than Bobby coming to town and Barrett being a dick.”

  “I’m so angry and I know I shouldn’t feel that way.”

  “Why shouldn’t you? Eden Creek was your pack for a long time, you grew up there and the people who live there mean something to you. It’s understandable that you would be angry at Barrett.”

  She shook her head before she rested it against his chest. He reached up and stroked his hand over her hair.

  “It’s not just Barrett that I’m angry with, it’s Quinn.”

  Understanding went through Rafe. Honor would feel that there was something wrong with being angry at her brother because he wasn’t here to defend himself.

  “You can only feel what you feel. Tell me what you’re thinking.” She looked up at him and drew her bottom lip in between her teeth. He reached up and smoothed his thumb over it. “It’ll be better once you tell me.”

  “I feel like it’s his fault, that none of this would be happening if Quinn had been more careful. He had a responsibility to the pack and to me. He wanted to be alpha and did what was necessary to make that a reality. Why couldn’t he grow up and put someone other than himself first? His life mattered to more people than just him and he threw it all away. Barrett wouldn’t be alpha and this wouldn’t be happening if Quinn hadn’t been so stupid.”

  Honor put her hand up over her mouth as if she was surprised by the vehemence of her words. Rafe didn’t know what to say, because while he agreed that Barrett being alpha was the worst thing for Eden Creek, it had accomplished one thing. It had pushed Honor to show up on his doorstep and sent all the dominoes that lined up to this moment tumbling over. Did her anger encompass being mated to him or was it just what was happening in Eden Creek? Because Rafe was well aware that if Quinn was still alive, there is no way he would have found himself mated to Honor.

  “Honor…”

  “I’m sorry, that came out a lot harsher than I meant it too. It was just seeing Bobby today, with the bruises on his face and knowing that he didn’t think his family was safe in their home reminded me of how bad Barrett is. And Barrett wouldn’t be alpha if Quinn hadn’t been so careless with his driving that night.”

  And if Quinn hadn’t been so careless, Honor would not have needed to run from Barrett. And Rafe would have gone on with his life without knowing what it was like to have her in it. He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to feel about all this. Before she came into his life the thought of mating with anyone had made him feel claustrophobic, trapped. But with her it was different.

  “Did Logan say anything after he talked to Bobby?”

  “He thinks that something else is going to happen. And I think he’s right, Eden Creek is going to implode. And that makes me feel guilty for bringing this mess to Cold Bay. If only I’d…”

  “If only you’d what? Given in to Barrett?” Rafe hated the thought of her with that slime ball, and his chest grew tight as he imagined what would have happened to her if she hadn’t come to him that night. He turned his mind away from that because she had come to him and he couldn’t let her feel guilty for something she had no part in. “You have no reason to feel guilty. It’s not your fault that Quinn died and it isn’t your fault that Barrett forced you out of your home. Even if you hadn’t come here, the trouble in Eden Creek would have spilled over into Cold Bay anyway, because the packs share a border. So I don’t want to hear another word of you blaming yourself.”

  She sat quietly against him for a long time, and when she finally looked up at him that troubled look that had been in her eyes when she’d gotten here was gone. The corner of her mouth pulled up, and she put her hand on his cheek.

  “Thank you. Logan told me it wasn’t my fault but I guess deep down I didn’t believe him. I guess I needed to hear it from you.” She moved away and stood up. “And I’ve interrupted your work long enough.”

  She moved to where she’d been sitting and tidied up their lunch.

  “You can interrupt me any time you want.” He stood and went to her. He knew that she needed to go, that this house wouldn’t finish itself, but he wanted to hold her.

  He pulled her into his arms and dipped his head down. She reached up and put her arms around his neck as her mouth sought his. He kissed her, softly, because now was neither the time nor the place for anything more. And he didn’t want to examine why kissing her felt so right, so he eased her away and stepped back.

  She turned and took the bag off the table and together they walked toward the front of the house.

  “I’ll see you at home?” She glanced back at him as she walked through the door he held open.

  “You will.”

  He watched her get in her car and back up down the driveway, waiting until she disappeared down the road before he turned away.

  It was a good thing he still had work to do, otherwise, his mind would be stuck in a loop. He didn’t want to think about what was going to happen once the Eden Creek pack destroyed itself and Barrett was no longer a threat. There would be no reason for him and Honor to remain mated, and that was something he didn’t want to think about at all.

  12

  Honor had been surprised when Mercy called her this morning to tell her that she had her stuff ready to go. All she needed to know was when they would meet at the border. It was the weekend, and Honor would have thought that her friend would be knee deep in hedonism with her new boyfriend, but apparently, she was going to pry herself away long enough to meet up.

  So now she and Rafe were on their way to meet her, and they were silent as they drove to the border. It was like each of them was lost in their own thoughts. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence, but lately, when they were sitting quietly together it was like they didn’t feel the need to fill the time between them with needless words.

  There was a small edge of worry inside her as they drove, and she felt like she had to say s
omething about it. Rafe had a knack for making her feel better when she expressed her concerns.

  “I hope Mercy makes it to the border okay. She seems pretty sure that Barrett won’t stop her, but with the way he is, who knows what he’s going to do.” Honor glanced over at Rafe, and he turned his head for a second to give her a reassuring smile.

  “Mercy is a tough girl. I don’t think Barrett has the guts to take her on. Do you know what she said to me when we were at Quinn’s funeral?”

  When had Mercy talked to Rafe? Honor scrambled to remember and the moment came to her. It was after she and Mercy had talked and her friend had approached Rafe, said something and left.

  “I remember her talking to you for a second before she left, but it didn’t really penetrate my mind at the time. What did she say to you?”

  “She said that if I didn’t look after you, she was going to come to Cold Bay personally to kick my ass. She’s got more guts than most men I know, in fact, you both do. I’m sure Mercy will come out of all this just fine.”

  “I agree that Mercy has guts, but me? When confronted by Barrett that night, I ran away.” That didn’t seem that gutsy to her. She appreciated Rafe for saying so, but he didn’t know how scared she was when Barrett had come to her when Quinn died. “I was scared of him and I ran.”

  “And you don’t think that took guts, to leave your home and come to a man you hadn’t seen for ten years?” He frowned as he glanced at her and then back to the road. “Courage isn’t about being scared, it’s about being afraid and doing something anyway. It took a lot of nerve to show up on my doorstep, especially since you didn’t know if I was going to turn you away or not. You are the bravest woman I know.”

  A warm feeling spread through Honor, and his words to her meant more to her than when he told her she was beautiful. She never thought that her actions when she’d first come to him were brave, all she could remember was how nervous she was. But maybe he was right, despite her trepidation she’d gone ahead and done it.