by Casey Morgan
“Hey, I already risked something getting that laptop for you. I’m in this thing, whatever it is, just like you are. I don’t trust Flint either, and I want to know what I can do to help.”
“I don’t need your help, okay. I’ll figure this out with my brother. Whatever is going on, I can fix it.”
“Jesus Christ, Tamir.” Why does he have to be so stubborn? All I want to do is help, and he is pushing me away. “I won’t get in the way, if that’s what you’re worried about—”
“That is exactly what I’m worried about.” He’s been standing there, pants off ever since we started arguing. I’m really focusing on his face right now, which is filling me with rage since he’s being such an ass.
“If everything Pax is saying is true, then you guys are going to need all the help you can get. If I were you, I’d take this helping hand I am offering you. Plus, you can’t shift right now, so I think you could really use an extra person in case anything happens.”
His nostrils flare, and he actually doesn’t have a comeback right now. He grabs his pants and finally pulls them on. Thank God. I don’t know how much longer I could have not tried to sneak a peek of his bulge.
“I don’t like you.”
“I know. I’m not very fond of you either, but that’s not the problem here.”
He scrunches his nose at me, making a very perturbed face. “Just stay out of my way, don’t say anything, and be as un-annoying as possible. I know these things will be hard for you.”
“I’ll do my best,” I respond sarcastically, but Tamir accepts it.
“Great, you can come then.”
I bite my tongue to keep from saying anything else snarky. I don’t want him to revoke his permission because of some last-minute comment I couldn’t keep to myself.
“You can go over there now,” Tamir motions towards the chair by his desk.
I take the hint and remove myself from his bed. At least this way I can stew and not be within punching distance of that fool.
Chapter Five
Tamir
Kenzie and I have been waiting in my room for hours. Everyone is still partying like there is no tomorrow. I don’t know how much longer I can take this. I need to go meet Pax. I need to go meet him right now. I’m not sure how long he’s going to be able to wait. If anyone catches him hanging out by the orchard, he’ll be in big trouble. Tonight really is the perfect moment for us to meet up because everyone is so busy getting drunk.
But I can’t think of how I’m going to get past all the partygoers. There’s just too many of them, and they are everywhere. I’ve never really been a big fan of celebrations like this, but, tonight especially, I am not in the mood
And goddammit, Kenzie is insisting on coming with me to this meetup. I don’t really feel like I need another person there. I’m more than capable of handling my brother and whatever the hell else is going on.
I tried to talk her out of it. My main argument was that I did not want her there. Plus, she’d just be getting in the way as another body. But she actually made some good points. Annoyingly enough. If she wasn’t the pack medic, I wouldn’t be surprised if Kenzie had ended up as a lawyer.
In the end, I knew it would be way easier to just let her tag along than continue going back and forth. I don’t understand why she cares so much. These aren’t things that lower-ranking members of the pack concern themselves with. She should be getting on with her day to day life.
The Staymans can take care of Staymans’ business.
At this point, it’s just something I have to accept. If she wants to come, then she can come. It’s not like it’ll change much of anything. As long as I’m not in charge of watching or taking care of her, Kenzie can do whatever she wants. She is a grown woman.
I glance over at her. The medic is resting with her cheek in the palm of her hand. She’s really quite a pretty girl, she just hides it under baggy clothes, oversized glasses, and a bunch of unkempt hair. The bad attitude doesn’t help either. I’ve never been interested in her, though. She’s just kind of always been there.
But, tonight, when she came into my room and handed me that laptop, something stirred inside of me. That flash of her bra was enough to stoke the flames of my desire. Honestly, I can’t believe something so insignificant managed that.
And from Kenzie!
As second in command, I have my pick of mates. And most of the women in the pack approach me in a bid to gain my attention, but no one has ever really appealed to me. I’ve turned down every date request. That’s not to say that I’ve never had a fling or whatever, but there’s never been romance or anything worthwhile. I guess they’ve all been meaningless.
My excuse is that I’ve always been much too busy with pack business, which is true. As second in command, I’m always in charge of something. It wasn’t just an excuse, but also the truth. Maybe I could have made time, if I really wanted to, but no one ever felt like quite the right person to make my mate.
I wonder if Kenzie is my mate? It’s such a random thought, but she’s been hiding in plain sight, so it could be that obvious. She’s never tried to get my attention before, and she isn’t trying now, but she has it at the moment with all her insisting and crashing into my bedroom. Like I said, she’s a pretty girl, she just knows how to hide it.
“What is your problem?” Kenzie asks, catching me looking at her. Her shrill voice cuts through my thoughts and reminds me why I don’t like her. It’s because of her personality. It sucks.
“Nothing, actually.” I take a deep breath. “Sorry, I was lost in thought. I didn’t mean to stare, I was zoning out.” It’s not the truth, but I know apologizing and a little deception will keep the peace. It’s not always worth getting into an argument, I’ve learned.
My brother taught me that.
“Oh, um, okay,” Kenzie responds. “Sorry for snapping at you. I’m just getting antsy. We’ve been sitting in your room for hours, and I don’t think the party is going to wind down any time soon.” She’s right, but what is there to do?
“Even if we get through the party, there’s still the Mathis pack to navigate, and I can’t even shift. If we’re not careful, we are going to get caught.” This is why it would be so much easier for me to only have to worry about myself, but I’m not about to have this argument with Kenzie again.
“You know what?” She stands up, looking out the window at the celebration. “Just follow me, okay.”
“Wait, what?” Before I can stop her, she shifts into wolf form and is out of my room. I don’t have time to think, so I grab her clothes and follow.
I see her going towards the East wing. As we get further and further into the wing, I realize I’ve never actually been in this part of the manor house. We reach a side door. It gets us to the other side of the party, and the two of us are able to sneak past. Luckily, no one takes notice of us even though we’re rather close to them all.
Kenzie doesn’t slow down, continuing to inch towards the barricade. As we get closer, she stops, sniffing at the ground. Now that she’s slowing down, I try to grab at her fur. I should be the one to go first. It’s better and safer that way, but Kenzie dodges me.
She plunges into a thicket, so I am forced to simply follow her. She’s able to stay low to the ground as a wolf, but the thorns all scrape against me. It does absolutely nothing to improve my mood, but it looks like we’re getting past the Mathis pack. I don’t hear any wolves approaching, and Kenzie is remaining calm.
We get through the thicket and the Mathis pack. Kenzie leads us to the orchard. I can’t be mad at her because she was able to do what I couldn’t. She was right that I needed her to come with me. I might not go so far as to admit that, but I can thank her for all her help.
Kenzie shifts and I do my best not to openly stare. I’m not a shy guy, but she’s making me feel all these weird things. Her nude, curvy body glistens in the moonlight. She really is gorgeous.
“Can I have my clothes please?” she points to my hands, and I nod.
/> “Yeah, of course. Here you go.”
I hand them over. She slowly starts putting them on, one by one. While I’m doing my best not to state, I still don’t turn away. I’m almost mesmerized by her. Something in me wants to claim her in some way or another, but I tell my body now is not the time. There’s too much at stake.
Kenzie finishes getting dressed and looks at me. “I’m ready to go whenever you are.”
“Mmm, yes.” She must think I sound like an idiot. Which I kind of do. “We’re meeting Pax this way,” I motion in the direction of our old childhood stomping grounds.
I haven’t spent as much time in the orchard since growing up, but it’s bringing back all of my happy memories.
It doesn’t take long to get where we need to go. I find Pax there, already waiting.
“Tamir!” he yells. He rushes over to me, bringing me into a large, old brotherly hug.
“It’s so good to see you,” he gushes. I pat him on the back.
“It’s good to see you too.”
My emotions aren’t as transparent, but I really am happy to see my brother. Three weeks is a long time to not ever hear from someone I used to talk to every day. I never realized how much I relied on him.
“And you brought Kenzie with you! What a surprise!” Pax lets go of me and hugs Kenzie.
“Pax! It’s so good to see you. I’m so happy you’re safe!”
“Yeah, it’s been a crazy couple of weeks. Mini and I have been holed up in a hotel in the neighboring town. She’s been almost going mad with worry.” They break apart. Kenzie nods thoughtfully.
“Pax, you need to come home. Now.”
Hearing about Mini reminds me of the whole reason we’re in this mess. Maybe Flint is evil, but if Pax had been able to stay away from that girl like I told him, he would’ve been able to get his point across in time, maybe. I don’t know. I’m just pissed off that he’s been exiled.
“I’m not coming back, Tamir. I can’t right now. Not without the proof I need to show Anson he can’t trust Flint.”
“But Pax, you can’t hole up in some motel with a girl you met only a month ago!”
He stands back and crosses his arms, giving me a disappointed look. “You’re still the same, aren’t you? Dude, Mini is my mate now. You’ll just have to accept it. What is that thing you said about mates and shifter law?”
My brother is truly an ass, but he’s right. If Mini is his mate now, there’s nothing I can do to break them apart. And, if she makes him so happy, maybe I don’t want to. Even if I am still wary of the girl.
I reach out, taking him by the shoulder. “Fine, you’re right. If you two are together now, then you two are together now.”
Pax gets a big smile on his face. He probably thinks he won that one, and he’s right. His point has been made. But there’s still a whole lot of other shit we’ve got to wade through. So, we may as well jump right into it.
“What did you want to tell me about Flint? What’s going on, brother?”
He gets all serious, which means it’s nothing good. “Like I said in the email, he’s working with the Mathis pack. That night everything fucking imploded, I saw him go to this dinner in a nearby town to meet with Beau Mathis. He plotted this whole thing with those guys. He might even be the mastermind.”
“Mastermind, huh?” It’s a lot to take in. I never really liked the guy, but what Pax is suggesting is something nefarious.
“Mini and I have been following Flint whenever he leaves the compound. He and Beau are always discussing their next moves and whatnot. I wish Anson would just believe me. I’m thinking of recording one of their meetings so I can prove once and for all that Flint needs to go. Mini and I have just had some trouble procuring a camera, but I think we’re close.”
Jesus. He’s been tailing this guy for three weeks with his human mate. If Mini really is just an innocent bystander in all of this, she has to be losing her mind. I’m losing mine, and this has been my whole world since birth.
There are just so many conflicting sides to this thing. I’ve always been told that I’m supposed to trust my alpha’s judgment. Anson has been in charge since I was born. He’s the only alpha I’ve ever known, and he’s never given me any reason not to trust him. Except for now. I don’t understand why he’s so ready and willing to accept this guy Flint. We’ve barely known him for a month, and the man is given consideration as if he is an elder. It doesn’t make any sense.
And everything Pax is saying is this big conspiracy, but it lines up with a lot of my own feelings. And I trust my brother. He may be a little immature at times, but he’s never done anything to lead me astray. I’m inclined to believe him, even if it goes against everything I’ve been taught growing up.
“So, what’s your plan, Pax?”
Chapter Six
Kenzie
Tamir and I found Pax deep in the orchid. I never knew this was their secret spot as kids. It’s a cute picture in my head, thinking about them running around, getting on each other’s nerves. It’s always interesting watching the two of them interact. Pax is so much more exuberant and open with his emotions while Tamir gets all gruff and grumbly. As brothers, they look so much alike but manage to be complete opposites of one another.
One thing they do have in common though is their ability to just ignore me when I’m standing right here. After Pax said hi to me, he and his brother started talking about Flint. He said that Flint has been meeting with the alpha of the Mathis pack, Beau. That can’t be good, obviously. The only problem is that they’re having this discussion like I’m not even here, getting into that snippy back and forth they always do.
“I believe you, brother, but we can’t just go to the elders with your word. They’re going to want hard proof. They already think you’re a traitor on top of a lot of them not thinking very favorably of you before all of this started.”
“I know, okay. I’m well aware this going to be an uphill battle. I’ve been trying to get footage of Flint doing something shady, but it’s been hard, okay. It’s just we’re running out of time, and I am getting desperate. If I can’t convince the elders about what’s going on soon, I’m worried it’s going to be too late.”
“Hey, guys,” I say. A little quietly, I’ll admit, but loud enough to be heard. That I am sure of.
“Yeah, well,” Tamir says, ignoring me completely, “Anson just inducted Flint into the pack, so your desperation needs to turn into tangible results. If you come back to the pack with just your word, Anson might do worse than exile you this time.”
“Okay, Tamir. I’m doing the best that I can, but Mini and I are the only two people. We’re doing our best.”
“Hey, guys,” I say again.
“We need better than that,” Tamir responds to Pax. “What we need—”
“Guys!” I yell this time. The two of them turn towards me, looking a little shocked and confused. “What I’ve been trying to say is why don’t we check on what is happening with the silver mine. No one’s been down there in ages, and, since your,” I point to Tamir, “wound isn’t healing properly, maybe there’s something down there that can explain it. It could also be the proof you need to convince the pack that Flint is up to no good.”
“No,” Tamir responds definitively. “We don’t need to go down to the silver mine.”
“Don’t discount the idea so quickly, brother. I think it’s a good one. I thought Flint was just in it for the money, but we don’t really know anything about this guy, so his motive really could be anything. And, if your wound isn’t healing, then something truly weird is going on.”
“I could go check out the mine and report back,” I offer.
I want to be of use if our pack is in danger. I know Tamir and Anson, and all the other high-ranking members think of me as a nuisance, that is if they think of me at all. I’m going to show all of them that they’re wrong.
“No,” Tamir says again.
I’m about to give him a piece of my mind. Who does he t
hink he is? Telling me what I can and cannot do like he’s the boss of me. I will not let this stand.
I get myself into a position to tell Tamir off when Pax holds up his hands. “It’s been great talking to you guys, but I really need to get back to Mini. She doesn’t like to be left alone for too long because of everything that’s going on. You guys just figure out a plan for the silver mine. I really do think it’s important that someone goes and checks it out. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter who, but please figure it out soon, brother. I’m counting on you.”
“Yeah, okay. I’ll take care of it,” Tamir acquiesces. “Are you going to contact me again?”
“Yeah, I’ll email you. I’m surprised you remembered how to use it. You barely seemed interested when I set it up. I think I remember you referring to it as the most irrelevant thing.”
“Well, I figured it out,” Tamir responds.
“He had help,” I drop in.
“Oh,” Pax laughs. “That makes sense. I’ll see you guys later.” Pax leaves, disappearing among all the foliage. Tamir looks annoyed, specifically with me, but I remain unbothered.
“You really don’t have to voice every thought that’s in your head,” he tells me, probably referring to my little dig.
“Trust me. I don’t. You’d be a lot more offended if you heard everything I was thinking.”
He takes a deep breath and shakes his head. He looks ready to toss me away. “Go home, Kenzie. I can figure this out from here.”
I expected a more biting commentary, but I still don’t care for his attitude or tone. Tamir thinks just because he’s second to the alpha, he can tell everyone what to do without any consequences. That’s not what working as a team means.
Well, maybe it’s time for me to just do my own thing. It’s not like I need his permission. What is he going to do? Throw me out of the pack? I doubt it.
I turn in the direction of the mine and head that way. If Tamir wants to join me, he has legs.
“Hey!” he calls after me. I don’t stop, keeping my feet moving. I hear his footsteps crunch on the earth as Tamir rushes to catch up with me. “Goddammit, Kenzie. I told you to go home. Why the hell don’t you ever listen? You’re so god damn stubborn.”
