Heart of the Pack

by Kristen Banet

  “Okay,” Abigail replied softly, holding on as the truck began to bounce. He kept them going as the dirt road climbed up into the mountains, handling the truck like a pro over the bumps and holes. Abigail was thoroughly impressed, and she knew Antonio must have found something beautiful or great if he was taking them on this sort of journey.

  The dirt road ended after nearly thirty minutes. He parked them at the end, which was abrupt. It just sort of ended without any indication that it was coming.

  “I’m assuming hunters come out here and park during the right season,” Antonio spoke, shrugging before she could say anything about it. “But it’s not the right season, so we should be alone up here.”

  “We won’t be shifting either, I’m guessing?” Abigail asked as Antonio got out. She followed, bringing her bag with her.

  “We can if you want,” he chuckled. “When we get to the spot. Think you’re ready for a bit of a hike?”

  “How long did this take you to find?”

  “In wolf form, I found the spot, then searched for it as a human again later. Checked maps and such, found these roads. It’ll be only forty-five minutes of hiking, but it’s mostly uphill.”

  “I can handle that.” Forty-five minutes uphill wasn’t too bad for her. She was glad for the tough jeans she’d chosen, but she was worried her lovely knit sweater was going to get too hot. Late April could have some chill, but she hadn’t thought he would take her so far out for a longer hike.

  The day was gorgeous and bright. She did take off the sweater, only ten minutes later, revealing the simple tank top she wore underneath. Antonio put it in his bag, so they weren’t carrying it around.

  As they got closer to the mysterious spot, Antonio began to ask her questions.

  “You have a twin sister, right?” He looked over to her and she nodded.

  “I do, you know that,” Abigail answered, frowning at him. “Karli. She’ll be due this summer with her boys.”

  “Twin boys?” Antonio’s eyebrows came together, and Abigail laughed. She had never told them.

  “Deer,” Abigail stated simply. “We always have twins or triplets. It’s an odd commonality to our animal form.”

  “That is weird,” Antonio mumbled.

  “Why did you ask?”

  “I was thinking about Thomas and Chris,” Antonio admitted. “Chris has always blamed Thomas for Jillian’s death. You know, I had a huge crush on her as a kid. She was a little older than the rest of us. Daughter to the Alpha. Unobtainable.” Antonio took a deep breath. “I don’t have siblings.”

  “Antonio?” Abigail took his hand as they walked. She kissed the back of it, watching him get a confused and frustrated look on his face.

  “I don’t understand how Chris could lose one sibling, then throw the other away,” he sighed. “It’s never made sense to me. Thomas always worked so hard and Chris never appreciated it. It’s why I’m so close to Thomas I think. I’ve always been desperate for a brother, and I think Thomas was too, in a way.”

  “I can’t imagine it either,” Abigail agreed. “I love Karli. We’re not the closest of siblings or anything, but I wouldn’t give her up. We just live different lives, and that’s okay. My parents didn’t have any more children after us, so we only had each other.”

  “My parents always wanted more,” Antonio whispered. “It never happened for them, but they were glad to see me and Thomas as friends when we were young.”

  “Ever thought about it?” Abigail asked innocently.

  “Kids?” Antonio laughed. “Not really? I had to first convince a woman to be in a committed relationship with me. Traveling is hard. Most women didn’t want the roguish, charming guy who traveled all the time for work into other Packs and had to be everyone’s friend.”

  “Roguish and charming.” Abigail hummed. “I think someone has an ego.”

  “What would you say?”

  “Charismatic but sometimes immature,” Abigail giggled.

  “Also works,” Antonio said with a shrug. He didn’t seem fazed.

  “I like it, though - the sometimes immature. Don’t take that as an insult.”

  “I think people should smile more,” Antonio told her. “Back on topic, never thought about kids of my own because no one wanted long distance with me, and I was too good at what I did for the Pack to stop.”

  “I would try a long-distance relationship,” Abigail simply said, shrugging.

  “Hold that thought,” Antonio chuckled. “We’re here.”

  She perked up and looked around. She still thought they were in the middle of the mountainous forest and she hadn’t kept track of the time very well. Another minute of walking and the tree line appeared, and they stepped out of the woods.

  Abigail’s breath was taken away. He’d brought her to a cliffside that overlooked a valley. The high vantage point made her feel on top of the world. She walked across closer to the edge, her hands trailing on the long grass and looked out.

  DC had nothing on this.

  When she turned back around, Antonio was laying out a blanket for them to sit on. He didn’t say anything as he pulled food out of the bag and placed it out for them. A lot of fruits, she noticed, some sandwiches, a salad of some sort. A simple, fresh lunch. She wasn’t too hungry yet but all of it looked good enough to nibble on through the morning and afternoon.

  “Come sit down and enjoy the view,” he chuckled, looking up to her when he was done. Her heart beat hard at how much effort he put into this. Like James, he’d made it simple, but still pulled out all the stops for her. She sank onto the blanket next to him and picked up the container of strawberries. She pulled it open and took one to nibble on as he watched her. Those jade green eyes were locked on her lips, so she decided to make a show of it. She took a slow bite and when a little bit of juice tried to run down her chin, he dove in and licked it off slowly. That lick ended in a kiss.

  “You don’t need to be long distance with me,” he whispered. “Abby, I would follow you anywhere. I don’t care where I am. I just want it to be where you are.”

  “You don’t need to worry about it.”

  “What?” Antonio went wide-eyed. He caught her meaning.

  “You have to keep this secret for just a couple of days. I haven’t told James and Thomas yet. I wasn’t planning on saying anything today, since I was hoping to really find a good way to tell all of you.” She leaned back and lay down on the blanket, looking up at him as he nodded slowly. “I’m not taking the job, Antonio. The cons outweigh the pros.”

  “It’s…”

  “It’s my dream job. I got it. I have until Friday to tell them I accept or decline.” Abigail laughed at the sky. “I’m going to decline. I don’t want it. Department head for the mental health and trauma therapy unit. We would also be in charge of the mental health evaluations of the agents, something I was vocal about before the entire department was closed originally.” She met his eyes again. “You don’t need to follow me anywhere, though. I’m not taking the job.”

  “Why?” He gasped. “Abigail. I love you but don’t throw everything away. We-”

  “I love you too, which is why I’m declining the job,” she whispered, smiling at him. Tears filled her eyes at his words. He cared so much, and he loved her.

  “I…I didn’t mean to just say that.” He chuckled weakly. “I guess that is the meaning of being willing to follow you anywhere, though.”

  “Do you mean it?” she asked, swallowing as he backpedaled for a moment.

  “Yeah, I do,” he chuckled, lying down next to her. “I do. So…what cons were so bad that you didn’t want the job? That made it out of the question?”

  “First, I would have to move to DC, or the Arlington region,” Abigail sighed.

  “And I would move after you,” Antonio replied, looking over to her and making a face.

  She laughed and swatted him. “I don’t want you to move! You, Thomas, and James have built something so special here. You own a business, you have
friends and a dog, and it’s lovely. I love it here. This is so much better than stuffy DC. It’s so much better than my condo in LA. I won’t let you move because I don’t want to move.”

  “All right,” Antonio laughed, rubbing the spot on his abdomen where she’d smacked him. “You said that was the first con. What are the others?”

  “This next one might even make you upset. They are now making it a requirement that every member of the SSTF leave whatever Pack or Pride they’re in. I would have to declare that I’m no longer loyal to you, to James, and most especially, Thomas. Being in a relationship with you, even after that, would be frowned upon, most likely,” Abigail explained.

  “Fuck,” Antonio mumbled. “Don’t take the job. Fuck them.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Thomas will be upset. James, maybe. We all just want you to succeed and be happy, Abby.”

  “I know, but that wouldn’t make me happy,” she reminded him. “This makes me happy. I can figure out work in my own time. I have the money. I have one patient in Finn. I’m planning on selling the condo in LA. I don’t need it anymore. Even if we end, I’m not leaving Wild Junction. I love this place too much. Riley, Jessie, and Phoebe.” Abigail sighed wistfully. “I wouldn’t give up the people here for anything, I think.”

  “Fuck, I love you,” he growled, rolling to his side to kiss her.

  She giggled at his declaration. “I’m so glad, because it would break me if you didn’t,” she whispered. “If I was just some woman of the moment.”

  “It was all you were supposed to be,” he admitted. “I’m happy you aren’t, though. I’m counting my fucking lucky stars that we decided to chase you. I’m ashamed to say I’m glad life brought me here in the most tragic way. It gave me a chance to reach for a happiness I had never experienced before. I wanted you the moment I saw you and decided to hell with everything, I was going after you. After everything, I didn’t want to miss the chance.”

  “I love that you caught me,” she murmured.

  “You know Thomas loves you too, right? It’s not just me and James.”

  “I’m not going to push him.” She would never. She couldn’t force him to admit feelings or anything like that. She wanted him to come to her. Thomas knew how she felt.

  “I think you might need to,” he chuckled. She raised her eyebrows. “Seriously. He’s not going to let his last remaining guard down until he knows you are definitely not going anywhere.”

  “I’ll take your advice into consideration.”

  “He’s lost a lot,” he continued. “He needs to trust that he won’t lose you, that you just won’t walk out on him. You should tell him what you told me, about the SSTF, about not wanting the job and why.” Antonio ran a hand through her hair when she didn’t say anything. She knew all of that, and it was something she was thinking about. She had only been back for a day and a half. “Why are you so pretty, little doe?”

  “Why are you so handsome?” Abigail asked back.

  “My parents. The eyes were from my mom.”

  “Thank God for her.”

  “A lot of people say that,” he told her, chuckling more. “Would you like to shift and do a small run with me?”

  “I would love to take my clothes off,” Abigail whispered suggestively.

  “Thank God for that,” Antonio growled. He sat up and pulled his shirt off. She did the same and didn’t stop him when he reached behind her and undid her bra. The moment it slid off, he kissed the space between her breasts and laid her back down.

  They never did shift and run. She stayed on that blanket with him all afternoon, nibbling on fruits and on him. She ended up with bite bruises from her shoulders to her thighs, as he’d decided to nibble on her instead.

  Abigail knew she was never leaving her wolves. She just needed to convince Thomas - and that was going to be the challenge.

  20

  Abigail

  Tuesday morning, Abigail picked up her cell phone and dialed the number to the Pentagon that she knew would get her on the line with Caleb. She was due to have a busy day. Riley wanted to hang out for lunch, then Thomas wanted to take her house hunting. She wanted to do this first. She wanted to go with Thomas, her decision already finalized so he knew she was serious.

  “Miss Harris,” Caleb answered brightly. “I’m glad to hear from you.”

  “You won’t be in a moment,” she said, laughing. “I’m calling to tell you my decision.”

  “Oh damn,” he groaned, the good mood immediately gone from his voice. “You’re turning us down?”

  “I am,” she confirmed. “I don’t want to move to DC and I’m not willing to leave the Pack I joined earlier in the year.”

  “I told the director that extending those rules to non-agents was going to cause a problem,” he mumbled. “Abigail, if there’s anything I can do to convince you otherwise, please tell me.”

  “There isn’t,” she replied kindly. She was trying to let him down softly.

  “Are you sure? He’s going to call you, you know. He wants you for the position. He doesn’t like not getting what he wants.”

  “He’s an Alpha.” She laughed again. “If he didn’t call me and try to convince me, I would almost feel insulted. Just let him know my answer won’t change.”

  “I will. Would you recommend someone else to take the job?” Caleb was tapping something on the other end. She could just hear it, like a pen onto a notepad. It annoyed her a little.

  “No.” Abigail paced around the living room of the farmhouse. She was, thankfully, alone in the house. Her wolves had run off to get work and errands handled around town, leaving her with Fenrir. “Anyone you have to fill the department would be good. No one specific comes to mind as the best option. You’ll have a problem with people relocating, though, no matter what. We’ve all kept private patients over the years and it was allowed, but relocation would uproot our business.”

  “The SSTF is a job, though.” She realized Caleb was looking for something of a debate.

  “A job that doesn’t pay well for what we are and how long we live. How much we need to move around, what doctors we’re required to use. A job that requires us to see the worst.” Abigail sighed at that thought. “I love my work, Caleb, but not enough to throw away something else that’s wonderful in my life. I would take the job if I could come home to the beautiful things in my life. You are requiring me to leave those behind.”

  “I’ll let you go, Miss Harris.” He was professional again, but she was hopeful he would listen to her and pass on her reasons to the director.

  “It was an honor being considered,” she told him. “Have a nice day.” She hung up on him and put her cell away. One thing down. She was excited about it. It felt exhilarating to not know what the future of her career held. She had been so dedicated to it for so long because she loved it and she had nothing else.

  Abigail whistled, and Fenrir jumped up from his bed. She was so impressed with how quickly Antonio was training the wolf-dog. They kept telling her that it was because they were wolves, he recognized that and accepted his position as lowest-ranking member of the Pack.

  None of it really matter to her. She thought he was an exceptional dog and today he would be leaving with her.

  “Ready to go, big guy?” she asked, looking down at him. “We’re going to see the Pride today. You liked them.”

  He just gave her a woof back and seemed to dance around on all four paws. Abigail grinned and grabbed his leash from the kitchen counter then considered it. He didn’t really need it, but it was a safety thing if she needed it. She snapped it on, just in case, grabbed her purse and the keys to Thomas’ truck, since she had finally turned in the rental. Thomas was riding in his gorgeous blue sports car, the one that she hadn’t yet gotten to even sit in, and she was waiting for her car to ship from LA. He’d offered her his truck for the week she would be waiting on her car, noting that the weather was finally nice enough for him to drive his car.

  Abigail help
ed Fenrir into the truck and left the farmhouse. The wolf-dog sat patiently in the passenger’s seat, tongue lolling out in a goofy expression. She chatted aimlessly to him about absolutely nothing. Asked him if he was excited to see everyone, if he was going to be nice to Star, Riley’s cranky tripod cat.

  When she made it to the Kingson Estate, the massive mansion that loomed over anyone who was driving up, Abigail laughed at Zachary and Riley waiting on the front porch. When she parked, the first thing she did was open Fenrir’s door and watched the massive dog jump out and run for Zachary. Abigail watched Zachary’s face, normally set in a hard cranky glower light up like a Christmas tree. It reminded her of the Pride’s youth.

  “How are things?” she called as she got out. “Fenrir missed you, it seems.”

  “Good,” Riley laughed, walking out to her. She hugged the cheetah after she closed and locked the truck. “How are things with you?”

  “Oh, you know, turned down my dream job today.” Abigail said it with humor, but Riley’s face morphed. She hadn’t taken it as a joke.

  “What?” Riley hissed, but not angrily. It was a low, shocked hiss that had Abigail shrugging back.

  “I didn’t want it.” She took a moment to explain why, the easy reason. Moving to DC, leaving the Pack. By the end, Abigail and Riley were inside, sitting at the kitchen bar, watching Zachary and Fenrir wrestle on the floor.

  “I’m glad you thought about the guys in that decision.” Riley chuckled, nodding appreciatively. “Seriously. You deserve them.”

  “You know, it’s not just them. It’s you, too. And that.” Abigail nodded to Fenrir and Zachary, now being watched by Brenton and Andrew. Before Riley could say anything, Troy and Gabe walked in and started taking bets. It wasn’t like Fenrir was going to beat Zachary, but it was still a humorous sight.

  Riley turned away from her men playing with Fenrir, a strange look on her face. “They want a dog now,” she whispered, looking at Abigail like it was her fault.

  “I have nothing to do with that,” she retorted, pointing at the scene.