Lost in Wolf Dreams (Cormac's Pack)

by A. P. Jensen

  “So, why are we going to your dad’s house?” Jillian asked.

  “Because he protects my brother.”

  Jillian ran her tongue over her teeth, thinking. “So?”

  “I can’t kill my brother without risking my dad’s wrath. He has the biggest pack in North America.”

  “Your dad won’t mind you coming over? I thought he kicked you out.”

  “My dad wanted to avenge my sister, but he’s big into politics and he didn’t want to lose pack members. He banished me on principle.”

  She didn’t like the sound of that. How could a father not defend his daughter? Prick. She kept her opinion to herself and risked reaching out to Mac and placed her hand on his thigh. He jerked and when she tried to pull away, he growled. She pat his leg and he calmed slightly.

  “So, how did your brothers know you were going to be gone that morning?” Jillian asked.

  The steering wheel groaned beneath Mac’s hands. “They must be watching my property. That dick has nothing better to do.”

  “Both of your brothers were fine when you saw them? No cuts or… missing limbs?” Jillian asked.

  “They probably healed each other and went over everything with a fine tooth comb. They know how to remove blood so I wouldn’t catch it. They’re masters of deceit.”

  “So your brother needs a mate?”

  Jillian heart skipped as Mac snarled. He was seconds away from losing control and shifting completely.

  “He’s not getting one. I’m going to carve out his heart.”

  Mac turned off the main highway onto a gravel path that led up to an impressive black gate. Mac rolled down his window and showed his fangs to the camera. The gate opened to reveal a massive property that housed a community, complete with winding roads, houses built in neat rows and immaculate lawns. The smell of so many shifters made Jillian’s hackles rise. Although the property was gorgeous, it lacked the wildness she loved about Mac’s land.

  The main road ended at the base of wide steps that led up to a mansion worthy to be in the Hamptons. The mansion was three stories high with massive white pillars and windows that sparkled. The wolf shifters that walked in and out of the mansion were dressed formally as if they were about to attend a dinner party in dresses and suits. It was bizarre to see people in the middle of nowhere dressed as if they were walking on Wall Street. Jillian had a really bad taste in her mouth as the male shifters stopped when they caught sight of Mac.

  A refined man with military short black hair and Mac’s eyes came towards them. He wore a gray suit and handmade Italian loafers. At a glance, he looked like any other rich man, but Jillian sensed his dominance. He had thin scars on one side of his face that should have made him look haggard, but only enhanced his masculine appeal. Mac helped Jillian out of the SUV before he walked over to his father.

  “This is unexpected,” the older man said.

  Mac put his arm around Jillian’s waist and kept her locked to his side. The man’s nostrils flared and his eyes flicked over every inch of Jillian. She met his eyes and the authority he carried made her want to hide behind Mac, but she held his gaze. She wasn’t intimidated by wealth so Mac’s dad was out of luck. Something flickered in his eyes before he looked at Mac.

  “I need to talk to you,” Mac said.

  “You came here for witnesses?”

  “No,” Mac bit out. “I came to talk about Richard.”

  The older man softened and even smiled. “What has that rascal done now?”

  Jillian blinked. Rascal? A rascal was a kid that stole too many cookies from the cookie jar, not a three hundred pound rapist/killer.

  “I need to kill him,” Mac said flatly.

  The older man raised a brow. “Why?”

  “He attacked Jillian,” Mac growled.

  “And what is she to you?”

  Mac went nose to nose with his father. “Richard came onto my property and nearly killed her. I can’t let that pass. Tell me you’re not going to protect him from me.”

  “He’s probably jealous, Cormac, and why shouldn’t he be? She’s gorgeous. Come here, honey.”

  When he held his hand out to her, Jillian glanced at Mac whose face was carved in stone. Jillian gave Mac’s dad a tight smile and kept her hands to herself.

  “If you don’t give me permission to retaliate, you might get him back in pieces,” Jillian said politely.

  The older man blinked in surprise and Mac squeezed her side in warning. Mac’s father burst into laughter, barged between Jillian and Mac and clapped her on the back with enough force that she would have done a face plant if she wasn’t wolf. She glared at the older man who grinned broadly.

  “Mac found himself an alpha female, huh? No wonder Rich is in a snit. I’m Percy, by the way, Alpha of the Mercer Pack.”

  Percy pulled Jillian into the mansion and the interior designer in her had to admit they had faultless taste. The mansion was massive and gleaming. A double staircase led to an upper floor where she suspected there were at least a dozen rooms on each floor. Once again, she was surprised to see how modern the interior was. Whatever they were doing to make money, they were doing it right.

  “Carol! Bernadette!” Percy roared.

  An older woman with an apron and bun at the nape of her neck came around the corner, spotted Mac and squealed. She rushed over to Mac who leaned down to hug her. Mac’s aggression nearly disappeared as the woman cupped his face in her hands and covered his face in kisses. Mac wasn’t embarrassed. He smiled at her and put his arm around her protectively.

  Before Jillian could ask questions, her attention was diverted by heels clicking on marble. A woman came down the staircase dressed in white slacks and a white tank that showed off toned arms. There was something about her face and the way she examined Jillian, that made her think of Richard. The woman with the cold eyes stopped beside Percy and bared her teeth when he wrapped an arm around her.

  “Cormac found an alpha female. Carol, this is Jillian. Jillian, this is my mate.” Percy nodded beyond Jillian to the woman with Mac who chattered excitedly, “And that’s Cormac’s mom, Bernadette.”

  Jillian looked from Carol, refined and distant to Bernadette who was warm and homely. She glanced at Mac and found his mother Bernadette jumping up and down and making the sign for a touchdown. Jillian’s already low opinion of Percy dipped even further. He didn’t defend his only daughter and he had children with two women in his pack? Wasn’t that like having kids with sisters? Bleh.

  “Carol, Cormac wants to kill Richard,” Percy said with a broad smile.

  “What has Richard done?” Carol asked, sounding more bored than concerned.

  Mac wrapped an arm around Jillian and faced Carol. “He tried to kill Jillian who is under my protection.”

  Carol flicked her eyes dismissively over Jillian. “She looks fine to me.”

  Jillian really didn’t like this bitch. She was cold, arrogant and dismissive. It was obvious Carol didn’t give a shit that her son went around trying to kill women for fun. No wonder he was such a douchebag!

  Jillian smiled at Carol. “You should’ve seen him once I finished with him.”

  Carol’s eyes narrowed, but before she could respond, two males jumped over the railing from the floor above. Jillian recognized them as Mac’s brothers from the photograph. The broody one no longer had a Mohawk, but his sneer was still present. The other flashed an easy smile and clapped Mac on the back. These guys were just as large as Mac.

  Mac’s mother wrapped the three behemoths in a group hug and declared, “My boys!”

  These giants all came from this tiny woman? Mac saw Jillian’s frown and put Smiley in a headlock.

  “This is Paul.” Mac released Smiley and punched Grouchy. “And this is Remy.”

  Paul bowed while Remy examined her with his arms folded over his chest.

  “So, does this mean you’re taking on a pack?” Remy asked Mac.

  Mac scowled. “No pack. I’m here because of Richard.”
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  “We heard,” Paul said and his eyes were eager as he looked to Percy. “Maybe we can just mess him up a little?”

  Percy shrugged. “I’ll think about it.”

  Mac opened his mouth to argue, but Percy turned and walked away. Mac started after his father, but Paul and Remy grabbed his arms to hold him back.

  “Just chill, little brother,” Paul said with a grin. “You can’t harass the alpha. Let him think on it.”

  “He always protects that prick,” Remy said darkly and addressed Jillian. “So, you fought Richard?”

  “Both of them,” Jillian said.

  Remy raised his brows. “Richard took Jerry with him? Can’t do anything by himself, can he? He’s not worthy to be alpha.”

  “He’s getting desperate,” Paul put in, as calm as Remy was riled. “Several of his pack members asked to come back to dad. He refused and Richard punished them once he found out. He probably thinks finding a mate will solve all his problems.”

  Mac’s mother Bernadette wrapped an arm around Jillian’s waist and shuffled her away from the suffocating levels of testosterone.

  “Mom?” Mac called.

  “Gonna feed her,” Bernadette called back.

  Bernadette led Jillian into a spotless black and white tiled kitchen and sat her on a stool. She pulled out a large pitcher of iced tea, poured a glass for Jillian and propped her chin on her hands. Her eyes were a brilliant green and if Jillian hadn’t seen her sons, she would have pegged Bernadette in her late thirties.

  “So, you nabbed Cormac, hmm?” Bernadette asked, wagging her brows.

  Jillian choked on her tea. “I didn’t uh, nab anything.”

  She’d never been in this situation before. A part of her wanted to yell for Mac to rescue her, but pride kept her mouth shut. She’d never been in a serious relationship and now she was meeting Mac’s whole freaking family. Why had she imagined that his parents lived in a log cabin? Why hadn’t he told her that his dad had two baby mamas? Talk about family issues! Jillian faced off against Mac’s mother and didn’t know how to respond to a woman nearly bouncing in her seat with excitement. She was more comfortable handling Carol the bitch than this woman.

  “I’m here so we can get permission to kill Richard,” Jillian informed Bernadette.

  “I know! This is so exciting!”

  Jillian’s brows rose. Maybe murder was casual in Wolf World. “I don’t know what’s going on here.”

  Bernadette sat on the stool across from Jillian and smacked her thigh. “You’re stirring things up, honey! I love it!”

  Jillian had no idea how to respond to that.

  Bernadette let out a light laugh. “You’ve done something to Cormac! He never comes here. It makes most males uncomfortable to be around him since he’s so dominant. Carol can’t stand the sight of him, so you made my day. So, what’s your story?”

  “Excuse me?” Jillian could feel herself beginning to sweat.

  “You know, who are your parents, where did you grow up, how did you meet Mac?”

  Bernadette looked expectantly at her. Jillian stammered like a sixteen year old.

  “I, uh, I don’t know where to start. We don’t need to get into this. I’m nothing to Mac. We’re just screwing.”

  Jillian’s eyes popped and she covered her face with shaking hands. Did she just say that? Holy shit, now his mom was going to hate her! As she debated whether she should make a run for it, Bernadette exploded into hoots of laughter.

  “Oh, honey, you are perfect!” Bernadette crowed.

  Jillian lowered her hands. “What?”

  “Mac’s had bitches after him ever since he was twelve. Women come way too easy for him.” Bernadette winked. “Challenge him. It keeps him interested. What’s all this about killing Richard?”

  Jillian relaxed, grasping the new topic with both hands. She didn’t want to talk about Mac to his mother, especially when she couldn’t define their relationship herself. “Richard and Jerry came while Mac was gone and almost killed me.”

  Bernadette leaned forward. “You’re an alpha female, right? Did they know that before they roughed you up?”

  Her excitement was so infectious, Jillian grinned. How could you resist this woman? She never thought she would laugh or smile over the attack, but with Bernadette, it all seemed like a great adventure rather than a fight to the death. Jillian felt a pang when she realized Bernadette reminded her of her mom.

  “I don’t think they did,” Jillian said.

  “So, what happened?” Bernadette kicked her feet like a five year old.

  Jillian’s lips twitched. “We beat the shit out of each other. I thought I killed them.”

  Bernadette’s mouth dropped open. “You beat them?”

  She shifted on her stool. “Barely.”

  “Female alphas can be just as vicious as male alphas, but I’ve never heard of a female beating an alpha male. When everyone hears about this, wolves will be fighting to join your pack.”

  Jillian felt a tad hot so she drank more iced tea. “It’s not like that. Mac and I are… we’re together, but we’re not, like, super serious. He doesn’t want a pack and I’m not good with commitment. He’s helping me.”

  Bernadette gave her a look mother’s have been giving children for centuries. It said, puh-leeze. Jillian rolled her shoulders and did more uncomfortable shifting on the stool. Her relationship with Mac was all over the place. She loved Mac, but she didn’t know how he felt about her. He protected and took care of her, but it was mixed with sympathy and duty. She understood why he’d taken her back to his cabin, despite her being feral. Mac understood better than anyone else how losing a loved one could fracture your mind. But, that had nothing to do with their relationship. He desired her, yes, but what else? He wanted her to claim him to visit the other packs, not because he wanted her.

  “You love Cormac, don’t you?”

  “I’ve known him less than a week,” Jillian said angrily.

  Bernadette stared at her without saying a word. For no reason, Jillian’s eyes stung with tears. She clenched her teeth and nodded, feeling like a fool.

  “Then what’s the problem?” Bernadette asked.

  “It’s a long story.”

  Bernadette patted her knee and smiled, “We have time.”

  Jillian never had a girlfriend to confide in and looking at Bernadette, saw patience and compassion. There was something about Bernadette that made you feel safe. Jillian fumbled as she tried to figure out where to start. At first, she was stiff and glossed over most things, but at some point she forgot that she was Mac’s mom and her story poured out of her. No one came into the kitchen and they drank the whole pitcher of iced tea. Jillian’s voice was hoarse when she talked about her mother and Bernadette clutched her hand and cried with her. Crumpled Kleenex tissues littered the counter and she felt as if hours passed before she finished.

  “Screw me sideways,” Bernadette breathed.

  “I know,” Jillian sighed and rubbed her aching head.

  “So, once Mac kills Richard, you have to find this witch and the alpha who sent the mercenaries that killed your mother?”

  Jillian sighed. “Pretty much.”

  “I don’t know many witches,” Bernadette mused and lowered her voice. “And I wouldn’t ask Percy because he’ll ask for favors. Don’t ever make a deal with him. He’s crooked.”

  Jillian snorted. “I can tell that just from looking at him. Um, if you don’t mind me asking, isn’t it weird that Percy had kids with two women in the same pack?”

  Bernadette rolled her eyes. “I was young, Percy was handsome and Carol didn’t want to have sex with him. She let him have me. Carol had Richard, Jerry and Emily already. I was pregnant with Mac when Carol realized my boys were more dominant than hers. She told Percy he couldn’t screw me anymore and he’s had blue balls ever since.”

  Jillian laughed so hard, she fell off her stool. God, she really liked this woman.

  “Every time Carol hears about M
ac, she wants to kill someone. Mac can take anyone, any time and she knows it,” Bernadette crowed. “Paul and Remy aren’t slouches. They’re right below Percy in the pack. They’ve been bugging Mac for years to let them join his pack, but Mac refuses. Ever since Emily, he’s isolated himself even though he isn’t feral anymore.”

  Bernadette opened her mouth to explain, but Jillian held up a hand. “He told me about his sister.”

  Bernadette gave her a fist bump. “Hell, yeah, he did. I don’t think I’ve ever heard him talk about it. You’re it for him, honey.”

  “She’s a half breed.”

  That haughty statement made them both turn. Carol stood in the doorway. She walked forward and stared at Jillian with malicious eyes.

  “And what’s that supposed to mean?” Jillian asked.

  Bernadette pat her arm in an attempt to calm her. “Wolves can mate with humans, but usually half breeds are too weak to handle the wolf. Most half breeds don’t last past toddler age.”

  Before Jillian could mull this over, Carol switched her gaze to Bernadette. The hostility and disgust in her eyes made Jillian want to lunge at her.

  “Get me something to drink,” Carol snapped.

  Jillian started to get up from her stool, but Bernadette shoved her back down. Serene as you please, Bernadette poured a glass of orange juice and handed it to Carol. The alpha female took a sip and set it aside. It was a power play and it made Jillian see red. Bernadette didn’t look bothered at all. She was about to take her seat again when Carol spoke.

  “I’m hungry.”

  Jillian and Carol locked gazes in a staring battle as Bernadette brought out all the fixings for a sandwich. Bernadette made both alpha females sandwiches. She set one on the counter beside Jillian who didn’t look because she wasn’t about to turn her back on the bitch that raised Richard. Carol took the plate from Bernadette, wrinkled her nose and once more, set it aside.

  “I don’t believe your story,” Carol said coolly. “Why would Richard bother with Mac’s leftovers? There’s plenty of pure bred wolves begging him to mate them.”

  Jillian got to her feet and Carol’s eyes widened slightly. Jillian went right up to the taller woman and let her wolf surface.