Brandon trailed along beside me, and I was too damn tired to tell him I'd rather be left alone. When we reached the back porch, I slumped down on the bottom step and leaned against the rail, watching Charlie’s truck speed down the road and disappear from view. Brandon sank down beside me, so close our shoulders brushed.
"Why'd you save Charlie after you told him you'd stay out of the fight?" His voice was quiet, neutral, and non-judgmental.
"Because I know the pack would be much worse off without him. I don't want to lead without his guidance and insight. He's been Beta since I was ten and he was eighteen. We can't afford to lose that kind of experience."
"Oh, that makes sense." Brandon chuckled, shaking his head. "For a minute there, I was afraid you’d somehow lost your mind and fell for Charlie somewhere along the way."
"I honestly don't know how I feel about Charlie." I shrugged, but that was a lie, too.
I was falling for him. Hard. And I wasn’t even trying to fight it anymore, or deny the truth to myself. Though I had no intention of mentioning it out loud. Especially not to Brandon.
He gave me a considering look, his narrowed eyes probing to divine my thoughts. "And how do you feel about me?"
My stomach clenched at the question and I shook my head with a frustrated sigh. "Brandon, you've been my best friend for years. You should know how I feel about you by now. I can't offer you anything more than friendship..." I trailed off. Hell, I could barely even offer him that much anymore.
I was lost in my own thoughts when his mouth suddenly crashed down on mine and he tried to coax my lips apart with his tongue. I practically gagged at the unwanted contact, my stomach churning with disgust.
I shoved him away with all my strength, using every ounce of the anger and outrage I felt at him crossing the line.
Brandon crashed back into the far rail and shot me a baleful glare. "Why are you acting like this, Lucy? I've adored you for years, put you on a fucking pedestal and quietly worshipped you. Why the fuck can't you just love me back?"
I couldn't stop myself from laughing, though it was a bitter, broken sound.
I wiped the back of my hand across my mouth, trying to remove the feel of his lips from my skin. "Are you being fucking serious right now? I can't just love you back because that's not how love works, Brandon!" I didn't care that I was shouting, or that someone might hear. I didn't care if it embarrassed him.
It took a Herculean effort not to lean forward and slap the living shit out of him for forcing an unwanted kiss on me.
What was going on with him? Where was this even coming from? And why had he thought I’d in any way welcome his advance?
"You could love me back if you tried," Brandon pleaded.
I stared at him in disbelief, my anger melting into pity. "No, I couldn't. My inner wolf just...doesn't react to you in that way." I shook my head. "Not only that, but I just can't imagine a situation where I could sustain romantic feelings for you after everything that's happened recently."
"What do you mean?" Brandon scowled, crossing his arms over his chest like a pouty child.
"I mean my father might still be alive if you hadn't jumped in to protect me instead of guarding his back. Maybe it isn’t fair that there’s a part of me that blames you for his death. But it isn't something I can just forget about, Brandon. Or forgive. I tried not to feel this way, but I can't seem to help it. I could never fall in love with the man who I feel is in some way responsible for my dad's death."
Brandon leapt to his feet, towering over me, his face as foreboding as a dark storm cloud. He shook with rage, much the same way as Charlie had before he’d left.
I should put pissing people off as a special skill on my resume. Although what kind of job would consider that a useful skill, I didn’t know.
Brandon stared down at me with undisguised hurt and fury in his eyes. I should have felt bad, but I couldn't make myself feel guilty for telling him the truth, no matter how much it hurt him. Not that I wanted to hurt him...or maybe I did? Maybe subconsciously, as punishment for allowing Maddox to kill my father.
I didn’t want to believe that I would seek to cause Brandon pain deliberately. But I didn’t know anymore. Surely, I could be forgiven for being confused and messed up inside after my dad just died.
Brandon didn’t appear to think so, however. "I never imagined that a day in my life would come where I could hate you, but I think it’s happened today," Brandon growled.
I stared at him, refusing to give any ground or take back what I'd said. And I didn’t think much of his so-called love if it could so quickly turn to hate just because I’d told him that I didn’t return his feelings and never would.
Brandon turned and stormed off, too, following Charlie’s earlier example. It was seeming to become a habit around me.
Some Alpha I am. The only thing I'm good at is driving away the people closest to me.
Another wave of nausea hit me as I heard Brandon's car door slam shut, and I retched. But maybe that was just from the streaks of pain radiating out from the wound on my side.
How much am I going to have to pay for the mistakes I made today?
Chapter 16
I spent the majority of the night tossing and turning before I gave up and decided to check on some of the pack members who'd stayed overnight and bunked in the barn. They had wanted to stick around in case there was any more trouble, but most of them hadn’t actually expected anything to happen. I was relieved to hear that it had been an uneventful night for them. Though I hadn’t thought otherwise, or someone would have come to alert me long before now.
A couple of the other girls and I cooked breakfast for everyone. I thanked them, but didn't stick around to talk after breakfast. Instead, I went back to my usual training area in the back yard and did my best to carefully work out the soreness around my new scar, which was still full of sutures.
I’d have to get those removed later today. Or maybe cut them out myself. Jo seemed to have full knowledge of shifters since her fiancé was one, so she wouldn’t question my miraculously healed wound. But I could guarantee that every other medical professional at the hospital would. Hell, even the janitor would probably realize it wasn’t normal for a wound to close that fast. At least, not for a human.
I didn’t want to do anything that might bring unwanted attention to myself and my pack. I had enough to worry about with Maddox and the coyotes still out there, roaming free. I didn’t need to add anything else on top of that.
Everyone else might have felt that yesterday was a final victory, that we’d seen the last of Maddox and his pack, but I knew better. I trained, even though it meant training alone, because I knew they'd be back sooner or later. If they wanted a fight or wanted vengeance, we would be ready. I would be ready.
I began to push myself a little harder, to move a little faster, as I punched and kicked, fighting against an unseen opponent. But the image I pictured in my mind was Maddox’s smirking face. And that made my movements just that little bit more coldly savage.
I jumped when a vehicle door slammed out front like a gunshot. I instantly went from calmly preparing to absolutely on edge. I really hoped it wasn’t trouble coming to call already, but nothing would surprise me at this point. Although, a sneaky assault was much more Maddox’s style. He wouldn’t want us to see him coming. I seriously doubted that he would announce his arrival by making that kind of noise. There was only one way to find out for sure, however.
Sweat dripped off my face, damp chunks of hair sticking to my skin, as I jogged up onto the porch to see who it was. I was stunned when Charlie rounded the corner of the porch that wrapped around to the front of the house, pausing as his gaze took in my slightly disheveled appearance and flushed face. I wiped the moisture from my brow with the back of my hand and tried to tuck the errant strands of hair back into the ponytail secured with a rubber band at my nape.
"Morning." He sounded gruff, like he was still trying to keep his temper in check after what I had done the day befo
re.
But if he didn’t bring it up, I wasn’t going to either. "There are probably leftovers from breakfast out in the barn if you want any." I jerked my thumb over my shoulder, but he shook his head.
"I'm not here for food.” He took a step closer to me. “I'm here to check that wound and do some more prep work with you."
“Scar,” I corrected, and he rolled his eyes.
"Whatever," he grunted. “Let me see it.”
Now I was rolling my eyes, but I lifted up the hem of my shirt to reveal the pink line of healed skin with black stitches marching down the length of it.
He reached out and ran his thumb across the newly formed scar, causing an instant reaction in me that I did my best to hide. His touch hadn’t been intended as a caress, but my body didn’t seem to realize that. Now, I was feeling flushed for an entirely different reason than my recent exertions.
Charlie cleared his throat and stepped back abruptly. “Looks good.”
“Thank you, Dr. Jones.”
He ignored my sarcastic comment as he moved past me and out into the center of the back yard. "Come on. If you're going to insist on charging into battle despite your injuries, I need to check your range of movement."
"I'm pretty sure I was moving just fine when I saved your ass yesterday," I grumbled, stomping down the porch steps to join him.
"I could have handled them by myself," he retorted with a shake of his head. He reached out and caught my wrist, tugging me closer to him. "Hands above your head," he commanded.
I stiffened at his autocratic tone. “Do you want me to touch my toes? Maybe do some jumping jacks, too, to make sure I can move without difficulty?”
“Why don’t we pretend for just a moment that you don’t need to argue with everything I say? Just do it, Lucy.”
I huffed out a breath, but did as he said and forced myself not to wince at the way the movement tugged at the stitches left in my side. He must have caught some tell-tale indication from me, though, and he narrowed his eyes. My heart skipped a beat when his fingers found the hem of my shirt and he lifted it to study my wound again. I wasn’t used to being in such close contact with him, and it was doing things to me that I couldn’t ignore. My pulse raced, and my body felt hot.
Everywhere his fingers brushed, my skin burned. My breath hitched in my chest and Charlie's gaze darted up to my face.
"Pain?" He questioned, his eyes darkening with concern.
"Not exactly." My face flamed as he continued to stare down at me.
I practically squirmed under his gaze as I waited for him to back the hell off—or put two and two together. I wasn’t sure which one I was actually hoping for. I closed my eyes and wondered how long it would take for my face to burst into flames. Would he laugh at me when he realized the truth? Tell me that he could never think of me that way? That I didn’t inspire even an ounce of lust in him? Suddenly, I was experiencing a bit of sympathy for how Brandon must’ve been feeling not too long ago.
When the silence stretched on too long, I opened my eyes.
Charlie’s eyebrows knit together in confusion for a moment then jumped toward his hairline. "Oh."
That one, breathless syllable almost undid me. Because there wasn’t just surprise in his tone, there was a distinct note of interest. I met his gaze squarely as he released the hem of my shirt and let it fall back into place.
"Oh?" I questioned.
Guess he’d gone with option number two. Though he’d been a little slow on the uptake.
"I...uh...well," Charlie stammered. He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck as he looked everywhere but at me. "I didn't mean to take things in that direction. I was just checking your wound, I swear."
Was that a tinge of redness spreading across his face? I couldn't seem to help the wicked grin that tugged at the corners of my lips. I was enjoying him being the one who felt awkward and off balance, for once.
"What if I wanted you to take things in that direction?" I challenged, moving a little closer to him.
"Say what?" Charlie croaked, his breathing growing ragged as his eyes darted around, like he was checking to see if anyone was close by to overhear my words.
But he didn’t back away from me or try to put distance between us. It made me want to step even closer to him, to close the distance between us completely.
Was I really going to do this? Finally give in to the attraction I felt for him? Finally give in to the temptation to touch him as I wanted to?
Yeah, I was.
Charlie didn’t seem opposed to it, and I was tired of fighting myself, tired of trying to convince myself I didn’t feel this way toward him. If he didn’t back away, then I sure wasn’t going to.
"You heard me," I murmured, trailing a finger down his chest.
Charlie squeezed his eyes shut and fisted his hands at his sides, his jaw clenched. "Don't tease me, Lucy." His breath came in short, quick spurts and his stomach muscles tensed when I toyed with the hem of his shirt.
"Who says I'm teasing?" I purred, closing the space between us until it was gone entirely and I could feel each shallow breath he took.
I drank in the heat that radiated off his hard body as I pressed against him. Charlie stood rigid for the span of a dozen heartbeats. When he moved, I halfway expected him to take hold of my arms in order to set me away from him. When he groaned and dipped his head, capturing my mouth in a fierce kiss, the action was so sudden that I froze in shock for an instant. But I quickly got over my momentary stupor and returned his kiss with equal intensity.
This is what it should be like, I thought as I melted into his embrace. This is what I wanted.
I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, pulling him closer. I couldn't seem to get close enough. I wanted to sink into his skin, to press so tightly against him that I became a part of him. And he became a part of me. I wanted to touch every inch of him, to imprint the feel of him on my body.
My hands roamed without conscious thought from my brain. And it seemed he was having the same trouble.
His hands landed on my hips, but then they started to slip lower.
My phone ringing in my back pocket shattered the moment.
Chapter 17
I frowned down at my phone as Dalton's name flashed up on the screen. I knew something had to be wrong if he was calling me. And I had a horrible feeling that whatever it was, Maddox would be behind it. Because I knew he wasn’t finished with me yet. My blood ran cold as I tapped the answer button on the screen.
"What's wrong, Dalton?" My mind was already racing with the possibilities, every scenario worse than the last.
"There's something you need to see.” The grimness in his tone was unmistakable. “Charlie, too. Meet me at the Parkers’ house as soon as you can."
I clenched the phone tightly in my hand. “What happened? I need you to tell me.”
“Just get here Lucy, then we can talk.”
Fear gripped me and I struggled to make my voice work properly. "Of course. We'll be there as soon as we can." I tapped the screen to end the call and shoved my phone back in my pocket, my gaze finding Charlie’s. "We need to get to the Parker house on the far edge of our territory."
He nodded and we sprinted to his truck in unison.
"Did Dalton say what was going on?" he asked as he got behind the wheel, started the engine, and stomped on the gas, sending gravel flying.
I grabbed onto the door frame to steady myself as the truck bounced over the rough surface of the driveway, and Charlie cranked the wheel to make the turn out onto the blacktop. "He wouldn't say on the phone, which makes me think it must be really bad."
I couldn’t shake a feeling of dread, and I shivered as we sped to the small house located near the border of the Swift fox shifter territory. Charlie was breaking every speed limit in Alabama—and every other state besides—but still it didn’t feel like we were going fast enough.
Less than five minutes later, we swung into the Parkers’ driveway and the relative
ly new house came into view. I almost threw up on Charlie’s floorboard at the gruesome sight that met my horrified gaze.
"Thank Lucy Blackburn for this," was painted on the side of the house in crude red letters. It was like something out of a horror movie. Except I knew that this was real.
I knew before I even opened the truck door and smelled the coppery scent that it was blood. I struggled to make my legs work as I staggered out of the truck. The world spun with sickening vertigo as I made my way over to Dalton.
Charlie joined us, a reassuring hand at the small of my back.
I struggled to make my lungs work. "What happened here?"
"The wounds are consistent with coyote bites," Dalton murmured. "This was a murder. Not just murder, this was retribution. They targeted our weakest pack members. The ones who lived farthest out and would take us the longest amount of time to get to them. The coyotes made sure that no one would get here in time to help. That no one would stop them. What I want to know is how they knew who would be most vulnerable to their attack."
My knees collapsed and I sat down hard on the grass in front of the house, staring at the awful words painted on the side of the building. When I was thinking of all the things that might have happened, I’d never imagined something like this.
"I don't know," I whispered as I fought to keep my tears from falling. "But if I had just given up quietly, this never would have happened."
“Fuck that.”
"Your father wouldn't have wanted that."
Charlie and Dalton both spoke at once.
I shook my head in denial of what both men had said. "These people deserved better than me for an Alpha." Hard sobs wracked my body, tugging painfully at my stitches.
"I think that's exactly how the coyotes want you to feel. It's a manipulation tactic," Charlie growled. “And who knows what Maddox would do if you had just given in and he had control of our pack. It might be even worse than this.”
I didn’t see how that was possible.
"I agree with Dalton and Charlie," an unfamiliar voice spoke from the other side of Dalton.
Possessing the Alpha: A Wolf Shifter Romance (Southern Shifters Saga Book 1) Page 10
