Blood of the Pack

by Jenny Frame

  Zaria pulled her hand back. “No.”

  “I don’t believe you. I know you can feel it. We have a connection, Zari.”

  “Ricky, I’m sorry. I met you at Venator because I wanted to talk to you,” Zaria said.

  Kenrick’s body was thrumming with energy. She wanted to get closer to Zari, get to know everything about her and explore this connection between them, but she kept pushing her away. “What did you want to talk about?” Kenrick asked.

  “I came to tell you I’m leaving Wolfgang County. It’s time to move on.”

  “No,” Kenrick said fiercely. She immediately regretted it when she saw Zaria taking a few steps back from her. “I’m sorry, Zari. I didn’t mean to shout, but you can’t leave. The Lupas are out there, just waiting for you.”

  “They always have been and I’ve always looked after myself,” Zaria said.

  “But they know your exact whereabouts now. Once you step over our border, they’ll be waiting for you.”

  Kenrick felt panic in every cell of her body. She couldn’t bear the thought of Zaria leaving and Ovid or any other Lupa getting their hands on Zaria.

  “Besides, you have no money or anything. Why not bide your time, get a job at the diner, and save some money? At least until I go home in a few weeks.”

  Zaria sighed and covered her face with her hands. Kenrick knew she was getting through to her.

  “Please think about it, Zari. You know I’m right. If you make some money here with us, you don’t have to be looking over your shoulder.”

  Kenrick would use any more time she had with Zaria to persuade her that they were meant for each other.

  Finally Zaria said, “All right, but just until I’ve made money—and if the diner will give me a job.”

  Kenrick mentally punched the air. “Let’s go run.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Zaria had nearly finished working her first week at the Big Bad Wolf Diner, and she had to admit that it was fun as well as satisfying that she was earning her keep in Wolfgang County.

  She piled empty coffee cups onto her tray and walked through to the kitchen with them. Dezzie was back there cutting up a cake for display out front. It was one made from a recipe Zaria had given her. A recipe handed down from her grandmother.

  “Hey, Zaria, your cake is a huge hit. This is the last of the original batch. Mom is going to make a few more this afternoon.”

  “I’m glad people like it,” Zaria said.

  “Like it? They’re crazy about it,” Dezzie said. “I’ll see you out front.” Dezzie walked out to the front of the diner.

  Dezzie, who helped her mom run the diner, had been so kind to her. Since the first day she had come in and asked for a job, they had taken her under their wing. It would be so easy to give in and sink into the welcoming warmth of the Wolfgangs. They were kind and gave her shelter, food, and medical care, all whilst knowing she was born a Lupa.

  She put the dishes in the dishwasher and headed back out to the front. Dezzie was chatting to Kyra at the counter, her mom was cooking on the grill behind the counter, and the sound of laughter and chatter emanated from the customers sitting at the tables.

  This pack was like a dream—everyone was happy and productive, it all seemed too good to be true, but every day that passed made that thought seem silly. If she stayed here, she could have a safe, comfortable life, not looking over her shoulder, but Zaria couldn’t handle seeing Marco every day and not telling him who she was.

  Then there was Kenrick.

  Zaria saw Kenrick at least once a day. She came into the diner each morning and they ran together most nights. Since the day at the forest when she nearly gave in to her need, and they nearly touched and kissed, Zaria had kept her distance emotionally and physically. Kenrick hadn’t pushed their obvious attraction, thankfully, but every part of her was aching to lie in the safety of Kenrick’s arms. Leaving Marco and Kenrick was going to be so hard.

  “Zaria? Come here.” Dezzie waved her over to where she and Kyra were standing.

  “Hey, morning, Kyra,” Zaria said.

  “Are you coming to the cub celebration tonight? Lena can’t wait to meet you,” Kyra said.

  “I don’t think her mate Caden trusts me that much,” Zaira said.

  Dezzie let out a laugh. “Don’t worry about Caden. She’s in full wolfie protection mode because of the cub.”

  “Yeah,” Kyra said. “Besides, Lena will keep her on her leash.”

  It never ceased to amaze her how relaxed these Wolfgangs were about their dominant partners. Saying something like that, even as a joke, to a Lupa wolf would get you a black eye, if not more.

  “So Ripp and I will pick you up. No arguments,” Kyra said.

  Zaria was just about to respond when the bell on the diner door rang and Dezzie said with a conspiratorial growl, “Unless a big hunk of Scottish prime beef wants to take you.”

  Zari looked up and her heart and everything else in her body fluttered. It was Kenrick.

  “On that note, I better run,” Kyra said. “See you tonight.”

  Kyra spoke to Kenrick as she passed, and then she walked over to the counter.

  “Morning, Ricky,” Dezzie said, then whispered, “I’ll leave sexy wolf to you.”

  “No—” But Dezzie was gone, and Kenrick was standing in front of her with a big smile on her face.

  “Morning, Zari. How are you?”

  One simple question, but even Kenrick’s voice turned her on. It caressed her skin and made her hot.

  “I’m okay. What can I get you?” Zaria said. Concentrate on what she wants and now how much licking her neck would make more sense.

  “Two decaf cappuccinos and two muffins, please. Dante’s waiting outside for me.”

  Zaria was happy to get behind the coffee machine and have some distance between them. Not that it helped much. Kenrick’s close proximity made goosebumps erupt all over her body. “Sure, I’ll just be a minute.” She had to find a polite way of stopping their nightly runs, because each night spent in Kenrick’s company made Zaria want her all the more. They had a bond without even trying, and each night before falling asleep she imagined Kenrick kissing her, touching her body, and making love to her, but as she was enjoying these erotic thoughts, Kenrick’s face was always replaced by Ovid’s, hurting and violating her.

  Zaria couldn’t give in to her attraction—the cost of mating was too high. She handed Kenrick the two coffees and opened a bag to put the two muffins in. “So, what are you up to today at Venator?”

  Kenrick sighed. “We’re going to have a working lunch with one of the supermarket chains that Venator supplies. Dezzie’s sending over sandwich platters and cakes.”

  “Why are you sighing?” Zaria asked.

  “The phrase working lunch makes me shiver. It’s so corporate, so constrained, so not me,” Kenrick said.

  The corners of Zaria’s mouth rose. “Is that why you’ve got the tie on today?”

  “Aye, I thought I better make the effort,” Kenrick replied like a little boy forced to wear a suit on Sunday.

  Before Zaria could stop herself, she reached over and straightened Kenrick’s tie. “You’ll do great, Highlander. Believe in yourself.” Kenrick grinned like a cat who got the cream. It was a simple but intimate act and she shouldn’t be giving Kenrick any encouragement.

  “Aye, thanks. I better go.” Kenrick grabbed the coffees and bag of muffins, walked backward whilst never taking her eyes off of Zaria, and bumped into a table and chairs. “Shit. Eh, sorry. I’ll see you at our meeting point for our run, and then I’ll take you to the cub ceremony, that okay?”

  “Yeah, I guess.” She couldn’t say no to Kenrick’s face.

  Zaria screwed up her eyes in disbelief as on Kenrick’s way out she managed to bump into more chairs and then the door frame on the way out. Was this the same wolf who jumped around in trees like a monkey?

  “Drunk on love,” Dezzie said as she walked up beside Zaria.

  “What?�
� Zaria asked.

  “The bad coordination. She’s drunk on love for you, honey.”

  Zaria turned to her and said, “What? I didn’t do anything.”

  Dezzie chuckled. “Of course you did.” She imitated Zaria leaning over the counter to straighten Kenrick’s tie. “That kind of attention and telling them they’re great turns dominants to mush.”

  “But we’re not—”

  “Well, you both sure look as if you’re heading towards some wolfie love, and she’s such a great catch, Zaria. Being Alpha and all,” Dezzie said.

  Zaria did a double take. “Alpha? What do you mean?”

  Dezzie narrowed her eyes. “Surely you knew she was going to be Alpha of the Wulver pack in a few weeks? Her pater is stepping down.”

  Then suddenly everything made sense. The saluting everyone did, the nerves over a new job that Kenrick had, and the reluctance to talk about it and her family.

  She lied to me.

  * * *

  Kenrick was worried. She had waited at the forest meeting place for Zaria for an hour, and she wouldn’t answer the phone in her apartment. She quickly drove over to Zaria’s apartment, worried that something had happened to her.

  She ran upstairs and knocked on the door. “Zaria, it’s Ricky. Are you okay?”

  There was no response, but Kenrick could scent that she was in the apartment and hear her moving around.

  “Zaria, I can hear you’re in there. What’s going on?”

  Finally she heard Zaria walking towards the door. When she opened it, Zaria looked different. Fearful, distrustful. Almost like when they had first met.

  “Is everything all right? You never came to meet me.”

  “Who was I supposed to meet? Ricky or the new Wulver Alpha?” Zaria said.

  Kenrick’s heart sank. Someone told her.

  Then Zaria clicked her fingers and said, “Oh, that’s right. They are one and the same. Funny that everyone knew but me. Kenrick Wulver, Alpha to be of the Wulver pack.”

  Zaria was angry she could see, but Kenrick had to defuse the situation. “Please let me explain. Can I come in?”

  Zaria walked inside and left the door open but didn’t invite her in. Kenrick followed her in and desperately tried to think of how best to explain.

  Zaria stood by the kitchen counter and crossed her arms defensively. “Well?”

  “I didn’t intentionally lie to you, I just didn’t tell you,” Kenrick said.

  “Is there a difference?” Zaria said angrily.

  How could she explain this? Kenrick scratched her head and tried to order her thoughts. “The truth is that my pater sent me here to shadow Dante, before I become Alpha in a few weeks. I wasn’t sure of myself—well, you know this.”

  “So why lie?” Zaria asked.

  Kenrick looked up and sighed in exasperation. “I didn’t lie. When I first met you, you didn’t even want to be in the same room as a dominant—you were terrified of them. How could I gain your trust if you thought I was the most dominant wolf in my pack? The more I learned about your history, and your sister being mated to an Alpha who abused her and you, I just couldn’t, and after that I didn’t want to ruin the trust we had with something I thought would scare you.”

  Zaria’s anger started to dissipate as she listened to Kenrick’s desperate explanation. “You’re right, I wouldn’t have trusted you, but at least you would have been honest.” Then a thought hit Zaria. She was keeping something from Kenrick too. Marco.

  Kenrick took a step towards her, but naturally Zaria took a step back. She wasn’t just looking at Kenrick anymore, she was looking at a dominant Alpha. The hurt look on Kenrick’s face nearly broke Zaria’s heart.

  “Please don’t be afraid of me. Because I’m an Alpha doesn’t change who I am,” Kenrick said.

  “Of course it does, Ricky. You are everything I’ve feared my whole life.” Zaria turned around and felt tears come to her eyes. Part of her was calling her an idiot for even considering fearing Kenrick, and another was telling her to run.

  She felt Kenrick step behind her. “Zaria? Look at me. Please?”

  Zaria turned around slowly.

  “Am I stronger than you?” Kenrick asked her.

  “Obviously,” Zaria snapped.

  Kenrick gave her a determined look. “Have I ever used that strength to hurt you?”

  Zaria could only answer honestly. “No.”

  “Well then, it’s not the strength that you fear. It’s the person using that strength. Strength can be used for good as well as bad. My ma told me that with great power comes gentleness, tenderness, care, and love.”

  As she had once before, Kenrick took Zaria’s hand and put it on her chest. “If you don’t have those things, power will corrupt your soul. I’ve lived my life according to those words, and I know you’re fighting a whole load of fear that Ovid and Leroux have given you, but you know in your heart that I’m not like that. Trust me, lassie.”

  Zaria felt like she was standing on a precipice. She was either going to run out the door or run into Kenrick’s arms. After a few seconds she threw her arms around Kenrick. “It’s just so hard. I’ve seen so much violence.”

  She felt Kenrick breathe a sigh of relief. “I know that, and I promise, no more secrets. You know everything about me.”

  The guilt of what Zaria was holding back churned inside her. She had to tell Kenrick everything. She pushed back from Kenrick and said, “But you don’t know everything about me.”

  Kenrick looked at her strangely. “You’re the wolf Marco sees when he’s out running, aren’t you?”

  Zaria nodded. “I’m Marco’s aunt. I brought him here as a baby.”

  * * *

  Kenrick pulled up in front of Dante and Eden’s den and switched the engine off. She could scent the fear and trepidation from Zaria in the other seat.

  “Everything is going to be okay. Dante will understand,” Kenrick said.

  Zaria said nothing. She was reverting to her fears of dominants and Kenrick could understand why.

  When Zaria explained how she brought baby Marco to Wolfgang County, how she had given up her life to protect Marco, and why she kept it secret, Kenrick understood. But she also knew they had to tell the Alpha as soon as possible. She called Dante and explained the situation, and Zaria was summoned to the Alpha’s den, to explain her story to the Alpha and Marco’s parents, Flash and Vance. That was really worrying Zaria.

  Kenrick took her hand. “I’ll be there with you, lassie. Everything will be all right.”

  Zaria looked at Kenrick. “If I was in Flash and Vance’s shoes, I don’t think I would be okay with it.”

  * * *

  “Why didn’t you tell us? Did you want to take our boy?” Flash shouted.

  Kenrick was growling over him in seconds. “Don’t shout, wolf.”

  “Sit, both of you, and let Zaria talk,” Dante ordered.

  Eden had sent the kids off to her friend Stella’s and ushered them all into their living room. Dante listened calmly but Flash and Vance were shocked when they found out who she was. Flash was on the edge of anger most of the time, but Vance tried to calm him.

  “Tell us why, Zaria,” Vance asked.

  Zaria was nervous but she got strength from the arm that Kenrick wrapped around her waist. Everything about Kenrick made her feel stronger, even though she now knew she was destined to be an Alpha.

  “At first, when I woke up in your hospital, I didn’t think it was worth causing you both worry. I was going to check on him one last time, then leave. No problems for you both, for the pack, nothing. Then you all looked after me, encouraged me to stay a while longer, and I just couldn’t repay your kindness with the terrible truth. I was going to leave so many times. One night I got as far as the county line, but I turned back.”

  Eden, who was sitting next to Dante, asked, “Why didn’t you?”

  Zaria looked at Kenrick quickly then turned away. “Something always pulled me back, but I promise you that I
never wanted to interfere with Marco’s life or you as his parents. I’ve seen what a happy life he’s had.”

  Vance said, “You know what this means, Flash? Leroux is—”

  Dante said firmly, “Flash is Marco’s pater, Vance, and she will never get near your cub.”

  Flash took Vance’s hand. “I’ll rip her apart if she tries.”

  Vance nodded and turned back to Zaria. “Tell us about his mother, his birth.”

  Zaria clutched at her stone pendant, and Kenrick rubbed the small of her back soothingly. “Marta was the kindest, softest wolf you could meet, and when she became pregnant, she was so happy but also scared of how Leroux might hurt her baby. Luckily Leroux lost interest in her—when she found out Marta was pregnant, she met her needs elsewhere. I tried to talk Marta into leaving, running away, but she had been so beaten down by her mate that she didn’t have the confidence to think she could. She was scared.”

  Zaria noticed that Eden and Vance snuggled further into their mates at that point.

  “When did that change?” Dante asked.

  Zaria’s free hand start to shake as she relived the memory.

  “Hey, it’s okay,” Kenrick soothed her. “They can’t hurt you now.”

  Zaria nodded, but Kenrick sensed that she didn’t quite believe that.

  “Leroux told her that she had given me to Ovid. Ovid met me at school that day and—”

  Tears started to roll down Zaria’s face. Eden came straight over and pulled her into a hug. Kenrick was pleased that the Mater was caring for her but frustrated because that should be her job. Just contemplating about Ovid’s dirty paws touching Zaria made her want to rip everything in the room apart. Struggling to control her anger and aggression, she got up and walked to the window.

  Vance took her place next to Zaria and brought a box of tissues. “You poor girl.”

  Flash didn’t look quite as convinced. “Van.”

  “Stop it, Flash. You can see what she’s been through.”

  Dante sat forward. “Can you tell us more?”

  Zaria dried her tears. “When Marta saw me, she was so angry, and for the first time in her life she said no to Leroux. It was a mistake. She beat Marta so badly that she couldn’t shift. She told me to pack our things, and we stole one of the cars. I drove us away.”