by A. P. Jensen
“Will you start a pack to get her back?”
Mac knew where this was going and he didn’t like it. He glanced at Paul and Remy who grinned like fools. Mac jabbed his finger at his brothers and father. “I know what you’re trying to do!”
“You need a pack and these bastards want to follow you. Why don’t you give me a break and just take them?” Percy said.
“I don’t want a pack!” Mac snarled.
“You also said you don’t want a mate, but you’re going ballistic over a feral maniac,” Remy put in.
“Bobby Conway’s her father!” Mac exploded and paced the office. “What are the chances that she was the daughter of the most notorious lone wolf in North America?”
Paul shrugged. “Pretty high, actually. I heard he swindles lots of human women. He seduces them, but he usually doesn’t have to worry about pregnancies since half breeds are rare.”
Mac pounded the desk with his fist and Percy scowled as stacks of paperwork merged together into a slosh pile that would take hours to separate. He glared at his youngest, strongest and most stubborn son. “Why won’t she claim you?”
“Hell if I know!” Mac spat. “She’s hot and cold so often, I think I have whiplash.”
“Could be another Carol,” Paul said with a grimace and dodged his dad’s fist.
“Unlike Carol, Jillian actually likes sex,” Mac informed them and raked his brains. “Maybe I can make a deal with Bobby.”
“Make a deal with a gambler? Oh, that’s smart,” Remy said sarcastically.
Percy shrugged. “Bobby likes money, but he can’t hold onto it. He’s addicted to gambling and as far as I can tell, has no feelings at all, but he never breaks his word.”
“Maybe I can talk to him.” Mac approached his family who blocked his way. “Get out of my way before I hurt you!”
“You need a pack!” Percy insisted. “And they want you as their alpha.”
Mac stared from one brother to the next and threw up his hands in defeat. “Fine! If I’m going to take on Jillian, I’ll need back up. Do you claim me as your alpha?”
“Yes,” Remy and Paul said in unison.
“Fine. Get out of my way,” Mac ordered.
The feeling of the pack bond that snapped into being from Mac’s heart to his brothers should have sent him to his knees, but he used the momentum to get out of his dad’s office faster. Being cast out of his father’s pack at sixteen wasn’t just a punishment, it had been a death sentence. Not only had he lost physical contact with his family and pack, the bond every wolf depended on had been severed. Without the security and reassurance of the pack bond, most lone wolves went mad or were hunted to death by other packs. Mac hadn’t felt this bond for twenty years and it was as beautiful and scary as he remembered. Being groomed to be the next alpha, despite being the youngest was the reason Richard hated him so much. Most alphas reveled in the pack bond, but it made Mac break out in a cold sweat because it meant the pack relied on him for direction, protection and provision.
Mac felt Paul and Remy’s satisfaction and excitement as they piled into the SUV. Mac didn’t look at either of them as he gunned the engine and with a screech of tires, left the Mercer mansion behind with Percy laughing on the front steps.
Chapter Twelve
Jillian struggled to remain conscious through the agonizing pain. She blinked several times to look at the wolves in the front seat of the van. Asshole and Nerd. She searched her mind, trying to remember the younger one’s name. Brandon. No, shorter… Brant. Right.
“If Rex finds out about this-” Asshole snapped.
“Shut up, Lan. Maybe this is the alpha female Flora’s been talking about. How is she supposed to battle Rex like this?” Brant asked.
“I don’t believe in Flora’s hocus pocus.”
“I do. Flora’s never wrong. Maybe this alpha female will change Rex.”
A snort. “Sure. That’ll be the day.”
The van stopped and both wolves hopped out to retrieve their cargo. Jillian knew she was in bad shape. She lost too much blood and her heart beat was faint. None too gently, the wolves dragged her out of the van. Her body felt as if it was on fire and she was too weak to do more than glare through vision spotted with black dots.
“What did you do to her?” a female shouted.
“And that’s why I don’t trust Flora’s hocus pocus. How can she know about the future when she doesn’t know what’s going to happen today?”
“I heard that,” the female said sharply.
Brant said, “She arrived in her apartment like this. We can’t take her to Rex like this.”
“Right. Bring her in.”
The wolves dropped Jillian on a cot. She could smell basil, peppermint and cloves. A beautiful woman dressed in a black leotard and colorful tutu spread her hands two inches above Jillian’s head. The woman ran hovering hands from Jillian’s head to her feet. At times, the woman grimaced sympathetically and clucked her tongue. When her violet eyes opened, she put her hands on hips.
“It’ll take me at least two days to heal her properly.”
“That’s too long,” Lan said.
Flora shot him a severe look. “She’s the only chance we’ve got. Take his calls and say you don’t have her yet.”
Lan cursed and paced. Brant watched him with sad eyes and elbowed Flora.
“He’s Rex’s beta. The compulsion to obey is constant.”
“I know,” Flora said.“I don’t have room in here for you two. You’re gonna camp outside for a while.”
Brant shrugged. “That’s fine. Any word from Olivia?”
Flora’s hands shook before she clenched them into fists. “No.”
Jillian faded into unconsciousness.
There was a sharp digging pain on the back of her neck. Jillian couldn’t breathe. She lashed out with claws and heard a scream. Jillian raised her head and saw a blonde woman back away, hands clamped over her gaping thigh. Two male shifters entered the small cottage. Jillian’s wolf, drugged and confused, snapped to attention and despite her wounds, tried to rise off the cot.
Voices filled the air, arguing and snapping at each other. Jillian knew the woman she injured was out of commission so she focused on the males. The young one with bushy hair had his hands outstretched to her in a placating gesture. The older one used aggressive body language, which sent Jillian over the edge. She staggered off the cot and faced the wolf in his prime. He shifted and the injured female stepped between them. Violet eyes looked into Jillian’s feral ones.
“No one wants to hurt you. We’re trying to help,” she said.
Jillian’s hackles rose and she growled. When she took a step back, she hit the wall. Claustrophobia, pain and anger didn’t leave room for reason. Jillian wanted away from all these people, especially the female who smelled… different. She huffed out a breath to get the foreign scent out of her lungs. Jillian dodged around the female and when she faced the male blocking the doorway, charged. The male wolf barked in warning, but Jillian was beyond that. She was surprised when he turned sideways to block her way rather than meet her head-on. Jillian gathered all the strength she had and leapt over him. When she hit the grass outside, she stumbled. She glanced back at the small cottage surrounded by tall trees and saw the bushy haired man, the woman and large gray wolf watching, but not pursuing her.
Jillian swayed, took a deep breath and smelled blood. She whipped her head to the side and saw a small white wolf hobbling through the forest. Jillian wasn’t sure how the wolf managed to walk at all when chunks of her flesh were missing. The newcomer looked as if she’d run through a river of blood that soaked her once white fur. Her back leg dragged on the grass and one of her ears hung by a thin piece of skin. She slowly made her way towards the cottage until she caught Jillian’s scent. The crippled wolf saw Jillian and stopped in her tracks. Jillian met the eyes of the wolf for a brief second before the wolf dropped and rolled over to expose her belly. Bile rose in Jillian’s throat and she took
a step forward, but the woman with violet eyes dashed in front of Jillian to protect the injured wolf.
The bushy haired shifter and gray wolf surrounded the battered wolf who shifted into a young woman.The wolf shifted and Jillian watched as he gently gathered the savagely beaten woman into his arms and took her into the cottage. The violet eyed woman murmured soothingly to the petrified girl. Jillian’s wolf retreated enough for her to remember the two wolf shifters who brought her here for healing. Brant, Lan, Flora. Reasoning returned along with guilt and shame.
Jillian hesitantly trotted over to the doorway of the cottage and watched Lan brush back the girl’s hair as she cried. Flora turned away to mix something in a shallow wooden bowl while Lan and Brant hovered protectively over the girl.
“Damn it, Olivia,” Brant cursed, white as a ghost as he looked at her body.
“He’s angry it’s taking so long,”Olivia said between clenched teeth. “He wants his mate.”
Olivia’s eyes moved to Jillian who lay in the corner, ears pricked forward.
“She’s an alpha?” Olivia asked.
Lan glared at Jillian. “She’s the one that killed the mercs. She’s feral and her memory is sketchy. We found her in New York, but it looks like some wolves had a go at her. Brant insisted we bring her here first.”
Olivia nodded and tears leaked out of her eyes as Flora began to spread a paste on her wounds. “He’s getting worse.”
“He’s a lunatic,” Brant said darkly.
“Is she the one, Flora?” Olivia asked hopefully.
Flora glanced at the gray wolf who examined them through gold eyes. “I don’t know.”
“I hope she is. I can’t stand this much longer.” Olivia sucked in a breath and Lan and Brant held her down so she wouldn’t scoot away from Flora.
“She’s as nuts as he is. She could make this worse,” Lan muttered.
“She knows nothing of this world and she’s been attacked at least twice,” Flora said calmly. “Her mother was murdered in front of her by wolves. How would you feel?”
Jillian watched as Flora treated every wound on Olivia’s body. Flora turned to Jillian and pointed at the second cot. Brant and Lan stood protectively between Jillian and the females. Jillian lowered her eyes as she hopped onto the cot and shifted.
“I need to rub medicine into your wounds. Do you understand?” Flora asked gently.
Jillian nodded and turned on her stomach as Flora approached. Flora’s hands were firm as she spread a red paste into the ragged wound on the back of Jillian’s neck. Flora moved down her body and spent a lot of time on her leg before she tended the minor wounds. Slowly, Jillian’s pain began to ease.
Night fell and Lan and Brant left their posts in the house, reassured that Jillian was in her right mind. Jillian watched through the open front door as they shifted. She didn’t like lying here, vulnerable and weak with other wolves around, but she didn’t have a choice. One of the wolves tilted his head back and howled mournfully into the night. The other male joined in and Jillian was surprised when her wolf wanted to add her distinct howl to the mix. Jillian clamped her mouth shut and started when Olivia joined in the wolf song. It was so haunting, it raised the hairs on the nape of her neck. Flora went outside and stood side by side with the wolves. She didn’t make a sound, but Jillian realized she was part of the pack even though she wasn’t the same species.
When the song ended, the wolves disappeared into the forest and Flora came back into the cottage. She handed Jillian watered down soup in a bowl that Jillian drank. Flora carefully spoon fed Olivia since she wasn’t capable of even holding her head up without being in agony. When Olivia ate as much as she could, Flora pulled up a chair and sat near Olivia’s head. They both looked at Jillian.
“I’ve never met an alpha female before,” Olivia said quietly.
Jillian didn’t bother to ask what that meant. All she wanted to know was, “Who did this to you?”
Olivia’s eyes flicked away from Jillian’s. “My alpha, Rex. He’s the one who sent the mercenaries after you.”
Jillian’s interest spiked. “And he wants me because he needs a mate?”
“His dad died two months ago and he became alpha. The other wolf packs don’t take him seriously. He thinks having a mate will put him above alphas that don’t have one. He wants to expand his territory. He’s been waiting for you and… he isn’t patient.”
“He hurt you because of me?” Jillian asked, nauseated. “Why don’t you leave?”
Olivia looked scandalized. “I can’t leave! I wouldn’t last long without Rex.”
Jillian stared at her. “But, look what he does to you.”
“Not all the time,” Olivia mumbled. “He’s testy right now. I’m the omega and it’s my duty to serve my alpha.”
“We’re all bound to Rex through the pack bond,” Flora explained. “If we try to leave, it’s his right to kill us. We have to obey him. There’s nothing we can do.” Flora brushed her hand over Olivia’s cheek when her eyes drooped. “But you can.”
Jillian blinked. “How?”
“I’ve had visions about you.”
Jillian raised a brow, but didn’t comment.
“I’m a witch,” Flora said and flashed a weary smile. “There’s not many of us and I met Rex’s father many years ago. He gave me his protection and I’ve been able to warn him of danger and offer my magic to heal. Rex has never been mentally stable. His father was the only one that could control him, but you… You’re an alpha. You might be able to save us.”
“How?” Jillian repeated, in too much pain to be surprised by Flora’s announcement. A witch? Sure, why not?
“You can tame him,” Flora said.
Or kill him. “Why does he think I’d agree to be his mate?”
Olivia’s eyes flew open. “He doesn’t need your permission.”
“Really?” Jillian drawled.
“Females don’t have a say unless the alpha lets them.”
All this time she’d been trying to find out who the bastard was that sent the mercenaries and now she was being escorted to him. Fantastic. Hearing Olivia talk about this asshole made her see red and she was suddenly looking forward to meeting him. Olivia couldn’t be older than twenty-one and the viciousness of his abuse was sickening.
“We’ll see about that,” Jillian said and noticed Olivia fighting sleep. “Go to sleep. Can you hide out here until I heal?”
Olivia shook her head. “He’ll call me back.”
“Don’t answer the phone.”
Olivia’s mouth crooked. “He doesn’t call me on a phone. He calls me through the pack bond and I have to obey. He knows he went a little overboard, so he’ll give me a couple of hours with Flora before he calls me back.”
Couple of hours? Jillian had a few things to say and do with this alpha and it had nothing to do with submitting to him in any way, shape or form. Maybe the female wolves raised in a pack didn’t talk back, but Jillian didn’t care what wolf etiquette was. If it was a hierarchy that put women down, she wouldn’t condone it. She closed her eyes and willed herself to heal faster.
“You’re fine, right?” Lan asked brusquely.
Jillian didn’t take offense because she knew he was worried about Olivia. So was she. Despite being half healed, Rex summoned Olivia back to him and she limped out of the cottage before the sun rose. Jillian didn’t think Olivia’s small frame would be able to take much more if the sadist decided to punish her further for Jillian’s absence. As soon as Olivia left, Lan trotted into the cottage and began to lick Jillian’s wounds. When Jillian shoved him away, he snarled and snapped at her until she subsided. Her body was remarkably healed in so little time and she was desperate to meet Rex.
Jillian faced Flora as Lan and Brant hopped into the van.
“Thanks and sorry,” Jillian said, waving at Flora’s leg.
Flora smiled. “Brant healed it for me. No biggie. Are you ready to face Rex?”
Jillian smiled, showing a l
ot of teeth. “Of course.”
Flora hopped and clapped her hands. “I had this vision that an alpha female would save us. We’re going to be part of the strongest pack in North America.”
“I’m not going to mate with Rex,” Jillian said flatly.
“I know!”
Jillian stared at the witch for a moment and wondered if Flora was just as crazy as she was. Jillian shook her head and got into the back seat of the van. Brant glanced back at her as Lan took off through the forest.
“Why are you letting us take you to Rex?”
Lan slapped Brant upside the head. “Shut up! She’s going. That’s all that matters.”
“But, why?” Brant persisted. “You saw what he did to Olivia.”
“And you think he’s going to do that to me?” Jillian asked.
She thought of the mercenaries and two wolves she battled at Mac’s house. So far, only Mac faced her feral wolf and lived to tell about it. She was beginning to realize she may be stronger than some of the male wolves. Olivia was raised wolf, yet she didn’t fight back against her alpha. You’d think she would be more deadly since she was raised around other wolves.
“I’ve been trying to find out who sent the mercenaries for a month. I want to talk to him,” Jillian said, her anger honed on a single target.
“Rex isn’t the “talk” kind of guy,” Brant said seriously.
Jillian’s eyes flashed wolf and Brant drew back. “Me either.”
“So, who attacked you?” Brant asked.
Lan’s eyes flicked up in the rearview mirror to watch Jillian’s face. He was obviously watching for signs of her going feral, which was smart. Jillian’s eyes began to change and Lan slammed his foot down on the gas pedal.
“I don’t know who they were. Two males,” Jillian said hoarsely, trying to stop the way her wolf battered at its cage.
“They were brutal. I don’t know why they’d attack an alpha female. Most wolves would treat you like treasure.”
Jillian thought of Mac and bared her fangs. “I killed them.”
Lan’s hands jerked on the wheel and he half turned to look at her. “You’re shitting me.”
