Heart of the Pack

by Kristen Banet

“I have an adorable girlfriend. I’m allowed to enjoy it for a moment,” Thomas snapped at him, glaring. “Chris, don’t be a fucking prick to my Pack. I don’t care what you said or why, but they are my Pack, not yours. You don’t get to play that sort of shit anymore.”

  “Girlfriend, huh?” Chris looked like he was chewing on that. “Didn’t think you would try that sort of thing again.”

  “I’ve…always liked the idea of settling down,” Thomas replied, looking away. “What’s up, Chris? What do you need?”

  “Just came to hang out,” he said, shrugging. “Wanted to see this bar open with you running it. Talk about stuff.”

  Thomas just nodded and let Chris in. People were now looking even more curiously. They looked alike, Chris and Thomas. Thomas took after their mother a bit more, with the curly hair and blue eyes, while Chris had inherited the yellow wolf eyes from their father. Similar but definitely not twins.

  “Do you want to sit at the bar or in my office?” Thomas asked, trying to be a good host.

  “We’ll sit at the bar,” Chris chuckled. “Let’s have a drink and really catch up. We didn’t talk much yesterday.”

  “Yeah,” he mumbled. He’d liked it that way. He didn’t want to tell Chris about much of anything, which made him feel guilty. This was his fucking brother and his brother deserved his time. Thomas just didn’t want to give it to him.

  He slid onto a barstool and waved down Johnny. They picked the end of the bar, in the darkest corner of the entire room, where they could have some privacy. He would have rather been up in the office but he couldn’t come up with a real reason to make Chris leave the public eye.

  “Jack and Coke, boss?” Johnny asked, politely not looking towards Chris in curiosity. “And congrats on the new dog.”

  “We’ve decided to call him Fenrir,” Thomas chuckled. “Jack and Coke sounds great. Chris?” Thomas looked at his brother.

  “I’ll take a beer, don’t care what,” Chris told Johnny, who nodded. As Johnny moved down the bar, Chris looked at him. “That’s your fucking pet?”

  “Fenrir. He’s been terrorizing our trash. Antonio wanted to catch him. I said we could keep him,” Thomas explained, shrugging. “Not much of a story. Just caught him today, so he needs to see a vet and a groomer.”

  “Antonio was always such a child. Got to have a dog, got to have something fun to do,” Chris groaned. “Got to party and have a good time. Let’s make a joke of finances and shit. Constantly with him.”

  “It’s not that,” Thomas sighed, hating how Chris talked about Antonio. Antonio was a happy go-lucky guy and there was nothing wrong with that. He was good at what he wanted to be good at and a decent man. He was also a childhood friend of Thomas’. “We’re settling here. We like it. Why not have a dog? Not just for him, but for all of us.”

  “Sure,” Chris scoffed. “And a girlfriend. Those two going to get one of those as well, or is it like the dog, for all of you? Like that feline-”

  “Don’t,” Thomas growled. “Don’t even start on that shit. Abigail isn’t just our girlfriend, she’s also…” Thomas looked around to make sure no one was too close. “She’s a member of my Pack, Chris. Treat her with respect. You know what? Treat the Pride with respect too, if you see them. They’re decent fucking people.”

  “Brenton tossed me out of his fucking house,” Chris snarled, louder than Thomas wanted. Johnny looked over, worried, and Thomas shook his head.

  “You were being a bit nasty to Riley,” Thomas reminded him. He remembered it, clear as day. They had been out of the hunting compound for less than twenty-four hours; they were confused, hurting, out of place. Chris had learned they had already been replaced in South Dakota. Instead of taking any time to heal, to regroup, he lashed out at Thomas, Antonio, and James. He turned his snide comments on Riley and the Pride males. Brenton wasn’t going to tolerate repeated comments to Riley, though. She had been hurt in the compound and Thomas agreed with Brenton for tossing Chris out.

  It was only back in November. The next day Thomas was a new Alpha, with a two-member Pack and standing in an office where Chris should have been while Abigail arrived.

  Which brought Thomas to another thought.

  “They are buried on our property,” he whispered. He didn’t say any more as Johnny brought their drinks over. When Johnny left, Thomas sighed. “Lochlan and the rest. The Shifter Special Task Force retrieved their…their pelts based on photos we could get to them. We got them headstones.”

  “That’s good,” his brother disinterestedly replied, taking a swig of his beer. “None of them really had any family to worry about.”

  “They had us,” Thomas reminded him. “We were family.”

  “We’re family,” Chris mumbled, pointing between them. “They were packmates, but they weren’t Mareks. Remember what Dad taught us.”

  Thomas ground his teeth and ignored that. Mareks come first. Lines of wolf Alphas, which was nice, but it wasn’t until their father that the family ever had any power. He’d taken South Dakota and finally put them on the map.

  Thomas wanted off the map, though. He’d never agreed with his father or Chris. They weren’t the Kingsons; they didn’t have the history, wealth or power they thought they did. They didn’t have the influence someone like Brenton did. If Brenton snapped his fingers at another Alpha, that Alpha jumped to attention. His brother was fooling himself if he thought he would ever have that.

  “Let me know if you want to see,” Thomas grumbled. “I’ll take you out to visit them.”

  “Sure,” he huffed. Thomas hated it. Hated the disregard. Their friends had been hunted while they had been caged. Thomas still had dreams about it on occasion. He still wasn’t completely over it. He never would be, like he still carried his time in the Marines with him. Fallen brothers never just disappeared. “You’re looking haunted. This stuff happens. We get up and keep moving.”

  “And I have gotten up and kept moving,” Thomas reminded him. “I bought a bar, something I wanted to try. Antonio started singing again. James brings his guitar out more. We just also remember to honor the fallen.”

  “Whatever,” Chris scoffed. Thomas’ temper crept up. Everything his brother said was scratching at it. The indifference, the rudeness. He wondered how he served Chris for a decade. Now, the thought of trying to have a conversation galled him.

  “What’s really going on with you?” Thomas asked, pushing the conversation back on Chris so his brother couldn’t insult his life anymore.

  “Nothing, really,” Chris replied, shrugging. “Broke. Friends aren’t as helpful as I need them to be. I do have a couple. They’re in the state as well, dealing with their own things.”

  “Who?”

  “You wouldn’t know them. They have business with Colorado though,” Chris deflected. “No big deal, Thomas. I’m here to relax.”

  “All right,” Thomas whispered disbelievingly, sipping on his drink. “I haven’t told Brenton you’re here yet. I need to.”

  “Seriously?” Chris glared over at him. “Why is it the pussy’s business?”

  “It’s his town,” Thomas growled. “What did I say about being respectful?”

  “He called me a dog once,” Chris snarled back.

  Thomas groaned and took another swallow of his drink. He hadn’t known that. “When?”

  “In the fucking compound,” Chris growled. “Right after the motherfucker woke up from the tranqs they hit him with.”

  “Then leave it,” Thomas recommended. “I think holding onto stuff from the hunting compound is a bad idea. Everyone was stressed, upset, and probably thinking they were going to die.”

  “Fine,” Chris mumbled, finishing his beer. “Bartender! Can I get another?”

  “His name is Johnny,” Thomas remarked, hoping Chris got the hint.

  “Johnny-boy,” Chris called out. Thomas held back a sigh. It was progress. Normally, Chris wouldn’t even try to use a name, thinking he was above everyone.

  Johnny just
slid the beer down, busy with other customers, particularly a young man that was flirting with Thomas’ bartender. Thomas didn’t really want Johnny going home with customers, but in a small town like this with few options, he wasn’t going to tell Johnny he couldn’t either if the option presented itself.

  “You know, I don’t know why you like that little chick so much.”

  “Abigail?” Thomas frowned at him, confused.

  “Riley,” Chris groaned. “Brenton’s little thing.”

  “She reminds me of Jillian,” he admitted quietly. Chris’ reaction was immediate. A loud, vicious snarl tore out of him.

  “You don’t get to speak her fucking name,” Chris reminded him. “Ever.”

  “You asked,” Thomas retorted quietly.

  “Never, Thomas,” Chris ordered, and Thomas felt it. The Alpha ability to force another shifter to follow an order. Chris had never tried it on him before, and he nearly submitted. He didn’t, though. He was a stronger Alpha than Chris and had no reason to figuratively bare his neck to his brother.

  “Don’t pull that shit on me, Chris,” Thomas snarled back. “I’m no longer your second. I don’t follow your orders.”

  “Don’t ever talk about Jillian,” Chris repeated, this time not trying to throw an order into it.

  “You asked,” Thomas repeated, stubbornly. He could smell the hate coming off Chris, like it did every time Jillian got brought up. He always tried his hardest to not mention her in any way. He wouldn’t pretend she didn’t exist, though, just like he wouldn’t pretend that their old friends buried on his property didn’t exist, or his fallen fellow Marines from the war.

  “Why don’t we talk about Abigail versus your ex-wife instead? Huh? That sound like a good topic?” Chris asked harshly. “Think Abigail is going to meet a better wolf eventually and leave you? Don’t think I haven’t realized she’s Gavin’s ex. Recognized her the moment I saw her. And Thomas? There’s a lot of better wolves than you. Your first bitch should have taught you that.”

  “Keep talking like that, Chris, and your time in Wild Junction will be very short,” Thomas snapped back. “The thing I have going on with Abigail isn’t your business, and I want you to stay away from her.”

  “Whatever,” Chris snorted. “You always have been good at choosing to trust the wrong women. Should be more like me, don’t trust any of them.”

  “And people were always amazed that you never settled down and had at least a single kid to continue your power in South Dakota,” Thomas sneered, feeling mean. He was losing his fucking temper and he didn’t want to be in this conversation anymore.

  “Look at us,” Chris huffed, breaking out into a smile. The air around them relaxed immediately. “Still brothers, arguing until the bitter end.”

  “Yeah,” Thomas growled, looking away. “Look, you have a good night. Johnny knows to bill you to me. I got it. I’m heading out to check on things.”

  “All right,” Chris chuckled, grinning. “Talk again later?”

  “Sure, whatever,” Thomas mumbled, beginning to walk away. He needed air or a run. He wanted to talk to Abigail. He would find her at home after they finished with whichever vet they decided to go to.

  This was how it always was between him and Chris. Tension, barely contained: different viewpoints and opinions, an awful mix of respect, disrespect, and a constant power struggle. Thomas used to back down immediately to keep the peace.

  He went out the back of the bar to take a deep breath of the mountain air of Wild Junction. Clean and fresh. He needed to decide if he wanted to go inside and torture himself with paperwork to pass the time or head home and do something of his own.

  He also needed to let the Pride know Chris was around, so he decided on that first. He got to their mansion and pulled up right at the front door. He knocked and waited patiently.

  “What do you want?” the tiger growled, yanking the door open. “Fighting with your girl?”

  “No,” Thomas groaned. “Still cranky as fuck over your back?”

  “Nah, it’s all healed,” Zachary chuckled. “Seriously, heard some things about you and Abigail. Want to explain?” Zachary pulled the door open and Thomas walked in, looking around at the pristine space of the mansion. Marble floors and the clean white walls. So different from the rustic little farmhouse he called home. Then again, the Pride were billionaires and Thomas was only a standard millionaire, with most of it in savings in case of an emergency. Thomas wasn’t even close to rich for a shifter, while the Pride were the epitome of wealth.

  “Not really,” Thomas answered. “It’s between her and us.”

  “Ah.” Zachary grinned wildly. “‘Us.’ So, she’s with all of you. Riley has been trying to convince us all for weeks that something was going on. Only Brenton and Andrew agreed with her. Now I’m going to owe them money.”

  “You guys have been betting on us?” He laughed, shaking his head. “You all need hobbies.”

  “What do you need?” Zachary asked, more seriously this time. “Or are you just here to see if we want to hang out?”

  “I needed to tell you or Brenton that my brother came to town unexpectedly. He might be staying for a while, but it’s not permanent,” Thomas explained.

  “Fuck,” Zachary snarled. “Brenton hates your brother.”

  “I know,” he sighed. “So do I, sometimes. But he says he wants to catch up, and he’s just here to relax. It shouldn’t be long before he’s out plotting somewhere else again.”

  “Let’s hope,” Zachary mumbled. Thomas watched the large tiger lean on the wall. “I consider you a friend, Thomas, so I’ll make sure your brother doesn’t get killed. I’ll keep Brenton from losing his goddamn mind. Since December, he’s been weird as hell. He didn’t like us getting hurt. He might see Chris as a problem that needs to be handled.”

  “Thanks, Zachary,” Thomas replied, nodding. “After Riley, you’re my favorite cat.”

  “I know,” Zachary chuckled, pretending to dust himself off. He was in a crisp black suit and he caught Thomas looking over it. “Date with Riley tonight. Me, her, and Brenton are heading to Denver any minute. You just caught us.”

  “Have a good time,” Thomas inclined his head. “I’ll head out.”

  “Yo, since there’s no more secrets about what’s going on with you guys and Abigail, when can we have another barbecue?” Zachary asked before Thomas could get out the door again.

  “Come over in a few days,” Thomas replied. “We just got a dog too, and it’ll be good socialization for him, if you’re alright with that.”

  “You got a dog?” Zachary laughed. “Oh man. Yeah, I’ll definitely be there.”

  “He loves animals,” Riley said as she walked over.

  Thomas looked at her and held back a groan. A tiny little red dress and tall, strappy black heels, none of which looked appropriate for the public. Her golden curls were everywhere, like they always were.

  “You let her out of the house like that?” Thomas growled over to Zachary. Thomas didn’t know why he was so offended by what Riley was wearing; maybe it was that he looked at her like a little sister. He just knew if Abigail dressed like Riley, he damn sure wouldn’t be taking her into public. He would want to keep her to himself for the entire night.

  “Who’s going to fuck with her when Brenton and I are there?” he retorted, grinning. Thomas figured he had a point. Zachary and Brenton entered a room and filled it, from their dominant natures to their massive size.

  “No drunk driving,” Thomas said sternly.

  “Jesus, Dad, okay,” Zachary huffed. “We never do.”

  “We’ll come over in a few days,” Riley cut in again. “I’m excited to meet…”

  “Fenrir, wolf-dog we caught getting into the trash at the bar.”

  “Christ,” Brenton groaned. “What is with the strays in this town?” He grinned as he rounded the corner and saw them all. Like Zachary, Brenton was in a crisp, all-black suit. “First, I end up with a bunch of wolves living i
n my woods and a fox slinking through the town, and now we have wolf-dogs.”

  “You’re missing a few,” Thomas chuckled, grinning back.

  “Yes.” Brenton snapped his fingers. “The pregnant Rogue lioness and the human father of my lover who quit his job because he couldn’t handle it anymore. Anyone else?”

  “Don’t be mean to my Dad,” Riley sputtered. “He’s trying.”

  “Go,” Zachary whispered to Thomas. “I’ll tell him the last one, so you don’t have to.”

  “Chris is back,” Thomas said to Brenton, ignoring Zachary’s suggestion.

  “Oh fuck,” Brenton snarled. “You know what? I don’t fucking care. I’m going out tonight. He’s your brother. Whatever.”

  “I’m trying to get him to leave but I felt that I should extend the knowledge to you before you stumbled on it,” Thomas explained.

  “Thanks,” Brenton sighed.

  “I hate that guy,” Riley mumbled, her nose scrunching up in distaste. “How long will he be around?”

  “Hopefully not very long,” Thomas told her sympathetically. “He’s been around for twenty-four hours and I’m already pissed at him. Nothing has changed with him and it’s not looking like this will be the chance for him and I to become friends again.”

  “I’m here if you want to talk,” Riley replied kindly. “I’m dealing with my dad. I get it.”

  “I know, little cheetah.” Thomas chuckled. “Thanks, but I can handle it. Just need to keep everyone out of the blast zone. Chris and James have already gotten heated with each other and Fenrir already knows Pack versus not Pack. With that, I’m going to leave. You all have fun. No drinking and driving.”

  “Is he really getting all ‘Dad’ on us?” Brenton asked Zachary, who chuckled.

  “He’s like…nearly fifty. He practically is an old man.”

  “Fuck you,” Thomas laughed before closing their front door. “I’m not that fucking old.”

  He jumped back into his truck and left as he heard their garage door opening. Behind him on the road was a Range Rover with windows tinted so dark he couldn’t see who was in it. He also knew that glass was bullet-proof. The Pride was private and insular most of the time, and after being hit on the road by hunters back in October, they took their safety seriously. Thomas was amazed that Brenton didn’t immediately ask for him to kick Chris back out of the damn town.