by A. P. Jensen
The bedroom door opened and she knew it was him. She turned her face away from him and listened to the sound of his footsteps as he came towards the bed. She couldn’t look at him. She prayed he wouldn’t touch her because she wasn’t sure what she would do. Her wolf didn’t know how to take Mac’s rejection and she whined in confusion in Jillian’s head.
“I worked everything out with my dad,” Mac said.
He was probably talking about what happened with Carol. Jillian couldn’t care less. Her mind was at a standstill, replaying Mac’s rejection over and over in her mind.
“Jillian?”
“What?” she said, voice muffled.
“You can leave the room, but no fighting.”
Mac dropped a pair of shorts and shirt on the bed. She didn’t question how he got his hands on the clothes- she put them on as fast as she could. She had to get away from him before she clawed his face off. She couldn’t breathe. She was so mortified, she couldn’t bring herself to confront him. She didn’t want to know why he slept with her this time or why he lied. She put her trust in him. He created a fake relationship and bullied his way into her personal space until she accepted him. For what? Because he was horny? Because he felt sorry for her? Jillian felt sick.
She didn’t need to know the layout of the house, she instinctively knew where the closest exit was. She jogged down the hall and leapt over the railing like Mac’s brothers and landed in the foyer. She ignored the pack members who bared their teeth or scattered as she ran out the front doors and onto the grounds. They treated her like a leper. If wolves thought she was insane, what did that mean?
Jillian veered away from the tidy houses and more pack members that whispered as she ran past. She ran as hard and fast as she could. Unlike the wild beauty of Mac’s land, this property was immaculately manicured. There were Greek statues, fountains and benches, for God’s sake. The Mercer Pack wolves lived like high society- civilized and protected from the dirtiness of the outside world behind high, impenetrable walls. There was nothing civil about Jillian’s wolf who was volatile and primal. Jillian snarled when she came up against solid stone walls. Wolves weren’t meant to be contained. Despite the vast property, the presence of walls made Jillian feel hemmed in and trapped. Jillian forced herself to stay in human form even though the urge to shift was nearly overwhelming. Her wolf was confused, heartbroken and pissed. If anyone came along, she may not be able to stop her wolf in time.
At some point, a red wolf with mischievous green eyes joined Jillian on her run. Jillian didn’t say a thing to Bernadette and they traveled in companionable silence for almost two hours before Jillian stopped at a pond and splayed in the shade. Bernadette shifted and lay beside Jillian with her hands folded over her middle. Jillian had been in enough locker rooms to take Bernadette’s nudity in stride.
“You’re upset,” Bernadette stated.
Jillian caught glimpses of a cloudless blue sky between the tree branches.
“I heard Mac yell at you earlier.”
Jillian didn’t respond.
“He’s right. I’m sorry you felt that you had to defend me. I know that for an alpha, seeing Carol treat me that way is derogatory and worth fighting about, but I like serving people. Carol’s a bitch. She’s cranky and miserable and never satisfied. Me, I get to do what I love and not have the responsibility she does.” A long pause and then Bernadette slapped Jillian’s shoulder and snickered. “That was so freaking amazing! You should’ve seen everyone’s face when you pinned her. Ah, I’ve been waiting over fifty years to see that!”
Jillian sat up and rolled her shoulders to release the screaming tension. She exhaled in a long breath and tried to realign her thoughts. She couldn't care less about Carol. There were more important things to address. Bernadette sat up too and surveyed Jillian through shrewd eyes.
“What happened?” she asked.
Jillian let out a low laugh because telling Bernadette that Mac was a liar wasn’t smart. Screw Richard, Carol and Mac. The Mercer’s didn’t matter to her. All that mattered was the alpha behind her mother’s murder. She needed to find the witch.
“How can I find Flora? Mac doesn’t know any witches.”
“Alphas are usually control freaks. They don’t like having someone around that’s potentially more powerful. If I were you, I’d ask Paul and Remy. They’re usually with Percy, so they know a lot of people. What are you going to do when you find out the alpha that sent the mercenaries?”
“I don’t know,” Jillian said tonelessly. “I want to know how the alpha found out I’m a wolf. I want to tell him to fuck off and go back to my old life.” She let out a long breath. “But, I don’t think anyone will leave me be.”
“You should claim my son so another alpha male doesn’t snap you up.”
Jillian recoiled and hunched her shoulders. “I don’t think that’s smart.”
“Why?”
Because he never wanted me, she thought. To assuage her curiosity she asked, “How does the claim work?”
“You claim Mac as your alpha and he claims you back. With the two of you as an alpha pair, that makes you an automatic pack. Any member that joins has to claim and be claimed by Mac. It has to be a mutual thing.”
Jillian sighed. “I just want to be alone.”
Bernadette snorted. “That’s not about to happen. Aside from the fact that Mac wants you, you kicked Carol’s ass. That makes you an automatic rockstar, honey.”
Jillian moaned and Bernadette slapped her on the back.
“Suck it up. You want to eat corn chowder?”
She hadn’t eaten anything all day and she was beyond starved. She got to her feet while Bernadette shifted back into a wolf. They headed back to the mansion in silence. When they approached, pack members stared and kept their distance. Jillian kept her head high as they walked into the kitchen through the shattered glass doors.
As soon as she finished eating, she would find Paul or Remy and ask if they knew a witch named Flora. Bernadette tossed Jillian a robe hanging on hooks in the corner of the kitchen while she donned one herself. Bernadette stirred a large pot on the stove and made a bowl for Jillian. She didn’t care that it was warm outside. Jillian savored her first spoonful with her eyes closed.
The click of boots on tile made Jillian open her eyes. Two wolf shifters walked into the kitchen, drawn by the scent of chowder. Jillian’s spoon clattered to the counter and Bernadette paled when she saw Richard and Jerry. Bernadette spoke quickly, but it was too late. Jillian’s gold wolf eyes locked on them. Jerry saw her first and scrambled backwards. Richard stared at Jillian with a mixture of hatred and lust.
“Well, well, look who it is. Miss me, babe?” Richard said.
Chapter Eleven
Jillian lost it. Memories of the way Richard and Jerry terrorized and ripped her apart filled her with cold rage. Jillian shifted and Richard retreated into the foyer with a cocky smile on his face, sure she wouldn’t dare touch him in front of so many witnesses. Jillian scrambled on the slick floor for a moment before she found her feet and leapt at him. Richard lost the grin when she clawed his chest and tried to wrap her jaws around his human neck, which would have snapped between her teeth like carrots.
Richard had time to shift when the Mercer Pack sidled between himself and Jillian. Jillian snarled in frustration and leapt over the crowd. Richard dodged and bared his teeth in warning. They circled one another and Jillian saw Jerry, Richard’s second in command, run out the front door. She would find him later. Shifters hollered and chattered on the sidelines, but Jillian ignored them. She was at full strength now, not a woman terrified of what her wolf was capable of. Jillian was so focused on Richard, she didn’t notice the shifters go quiet until Percy stepped in front of her prey. The Alpha of the Mercer Pack glowered at Jillian and despite being in human form, growled at her. Behind his dad, Richard’s tongue lolled out in a grin. Jillian tried to dodge around Percy who blocked her again. He had no fear of her and Jillian knew why. She w
as pretty sure Mac’s father was capable of killing her with his bare hands, the huge brute.
Mac jumped down from the floor above and stood beside his dad. His eyes glowed with fury and Jillian was pretty sure he could subdue her, even in human form. Belatedly, she remembered what he said before she left the bedroom. No fighting. So what? Isn’t this why they came here? To kill Richard? Why was Mac protecting Richard from her? If Mac changed his mind about killing Richard, he could step to the side because she had business to take care of. Richard would pay.
“Shift,” Mac snapped.
Jillian backed away, growling in her throat as he approached. Wolves scattered to get out of her way, whispering and staring openmouthed as she defied Mac and Percy.
“You have to shift. Now,” Mac ordered, still coming towards her.
A man with long silver hair walked through the open front doors and pushed past the onlookers. The gasps in the crowd distracted Jillian. The older who looked like a Cherokee Indian stopped beside Mac and fixed unblinking eyes on her. The older man didn’t care that the crowd openly stared and pointed at him. Mac stopped his pursuit of Jillian and looked at the newcomer with a huge dose of wariness.
“What are you doing here, Bobby?” Mac asked.
“Just came to grab something that belongs to me,” the older man said easily and smiled at Jillian. “Shift.”
Jillian’s body began to contort, compelled by the stranger’s command. Thirty seconds later, she sat on the floor as a human, staring at this Bobby character, stunned. The room was dead silent now and Mac looked dumbstruck and a little pale.
Percy snorted. “No wonder she’s crazy. Bobby Conway’s her father.”
Jillian got to her feet. “Father?”
Mac stripped off his shirt and forced it over her head. In a low voice so the others wouldn’t hear, he said, “Claim me.”
Jillian didn’t take her eyes from the silver haired man who spoke to Percy. Her father?
“Claim me as your alpha.”
Jillian’s eyes flicked up to Mac’s, then away. “Why?”
“If you don’t claim me, your father is your natural alpha. That’s why he can command you to shift. He can do anything he wants with you and I can’t do a thing.” When she said nothing, he gripped her arm. “Claim me.”
“No,” Jillian said through clenched teeth.
Mac’s eyes flared. “What? You have to!”
She jerked away from him. “No.”
“Jillian, you don’t know Bobby Conway. He’s a con.”
Jillian’s lips quirked humorlessly. “I already knew that. It seems I’m destined to be around wolves like him.”
Mac shook her. “What are you talking about?”
Richard briefly captured her attention as he shifted and walked towards Carol who held a robe for him. Carol’s frozen face softened and she looked almost human as she nodded at her son. A moment later, her eyes slipped past Richard to Jillian. If she’d been up to it, Jillian would’ve blown her a kiss to irk her, but she was too busy watching every move her “dad” made.
“Which one are you?” Bobby asked, coming towards them.
Mac tensed. “I’m Mac.”
“The youngest one that killed Alpha Donner at sixteen? The feral loner?”
Mac gave Bobby a level glare before he turned back to Jillian. He brushed her tangled hair back from her face. When she tried to pull away, he tightened his hold.
“If you claim me as your alpha, your tie to your dad is gone,” Mac murmured.
“Can my claim to you be broken?”
Mac frowned. “No.”
She made up her mind and shrugged Mac’s hand off. When she started towards her father, Mac grabbed a hold of her again and swung her around.
“Why are you doing this?” Mac demanded.
Mac knew everyone was watching and listening. He also knew he was a breath away from being challenged by Bobby Conway, but he didn’t give a shit. Bobby didn’t look upset that a wolf was trying to steal his daughter right in front of him. No, Bobby looked bored. Mac had a bad feeling about this. He didn’t know what was going on with Jillian, but she wouldn’t meet his eyes and she was trying to get away from him as if he had a contagious disease.
“Let her go, Mac,” Percy ordered.
“What’s going on? Did something happen?” Mac persisted, ignoring his dad.
“Just let me go,” Jillian muttered.
She jerked away from Mac and walked over to Bobby. Percy grabbed Mac’s arm when he started after Jillian again. Bobby eyed Mac and his lips twitched with amusement before he followed Jillian who walked out of the mansion. Bobby jerked his head at a Jeep and gestured for her to get in. Jillian hopped into the passenger side and belted herself in as the Mercer Pack members came out on the steps to watch. None of the Mercer’s appeared and Jillian told herself that was the way she wanted it. Neither she nor Bobby spoke as they drove off of Mercer land. When Bobby turned onto the highway, he glanced at Jillian who stared straight ahead, face expressionless and body tense.
“Got nothing to say to your pop?” Bobby asked.
“Nothing you want to hear, so why don’t we keep this simple? Just drop me off in New York.”
“The Mercer Pack is the biggest in North America,” Bobby said casually. “If you’re gonna go for a Mercer, you should go for the oldest son. I heard Mac goes feral when he feels like it. He doesn’t want a mate or a pack. The oldest one is already an established alpha. Why were you challenging him?”
“They call him Dick for a reason,” Jillian muttered.
Bobby chuckled. “You sure are trouble, missy.”
“I never used to be.”
“I heard about the accident with your mom.”
Her claws whipped out before she could stop them. She was about to launch herself at Bobby when he glanced at her.
“No,” he said firmly.
Her claws whipped back in so fast, she cursed. “What the fuck!”
“I’m your alpha. I always have been,” Bobby said conversationally. “You do what I say, when I say it. Got it?”
His utter calm pierced through Jillian’s fury and she suddenly realized she was in deep shit. Bobby wasn’t perturbed by her loathing for him, far from it. He didn’t care one way or the other. She could be anyone to him and he gave commands because he would make sure she obeyed, whether she wanted to or not.
“So being my alpha means you own me? You can command me to do anything?” Jillian said, heart sinking.
“Pretty much. As I was saying, I heard about the accident with your mom. That was unfortunate.”
“Don’t you dare talk about my mother!” she snarled.
“Don’t yell. You’re hurting my ears,” Bobby said, rubbing his right one irritably. “If you weren’t such a crazy bitch, I would still be in Europe right now. Damn, Rex, he must’ve sent amateurs to fetch you.”
Everything in her turned to ice. “What are you talking about?”
Bobby glanced at her and for the first time, Jillian realized she got her eyes from him. She wanted to tear him apart.
“I sold you to an alpha named Rex.”
Volcanic rage spewed inside of her. She launched herself at Bobby with such force that the car door popped off and they tumbled onto the road. She tried to claw his throat, but even as she swung, there was a sharp pain in her neck. Her body went numb and she dropped like a rock and lay like a mannequin on hot concrete.
“Idiot,” Bobby muttered.
Bobby took his time dusting off his jeans before he picked up Jillian. He ignored her wild eyes and deposited her back onto the passenger seat. He calmly leaned over to belt her in, got back into the driver’s seat and fit the broken door into place with a screech of metal.
Jillian was in hell. Her mind was clear and functional, but her body wouldn’t obey anything she told it to do.
“As I was saying,” Bobby continued, “You’ve put Rex through hell, which is why he sent for me.”
Rex? Who th
e fuck- Jillian’s breath seized and she remembered the last piece of the missing puzzle.
Percy, Paul and Remy stepped in front of Mac to stop him from going after Jillian. It took all three of them to shuffle Mac down the hall into Percy’s study where they barricaded the door and tried to talk sense into him.
“What the fuck just happened?” Mac roared. “Bobby Conway’s leaving with Jillian! Get out of my way.”
Percy shrugged. “Maybe he’s feeling paternal.”
“Bullshit! He’s up to something.”
“Not your problem.”
“She’s mine!” Mac shouted.
“We can find someone else for you-”
“No. Jillian’s it for me.”
“She doesn’t want you.”
“She does. We got into a fight, that’s all. She overreacted, which is what women do! I’m going tracking.”
Percy shoved his son back with all his strength. “That’s suicide. Bobby’s not a fool. You need a pack to take him on. I swear, that guy made a deal with the devil to go on as long as he has without a pack. Cormac, you can’t avoid this forever. Your pack can lend their alpha strength, but if Jillian doesn’t claim you, you have no right to her.”
“She will claim me,” Mac snarled.
“How much do you want her?” Percy challenged.
It took all the control he possessed not to strike out at his father. “I’d die for her.”
