Walsh, Maggie - Betrayal [The Angel Pack] (Siren Publishing Allure ManLove)

by Maggie Walsh

  “If it wasn’t for Micah starting this pack and fighting for it to be sanctioned by our council, we would all be considered rogue and probably would be dead by now,” Raith confessed.

  “We all have pasts, Taylor. Some of us worse than others. But no less hard.” Micah gave him a gentle smile.

  “So, now that you know a little about our past, does that mean you don’t want Jesse as your mate now?” Taylor whispered as he looked down at his lap.

  “I didn’t say that. He’s my mate, of course I want him. I will always want him. No matter what is in his past, he will always be my mate. And I don’t want him just because he’s my mate. I wanted him the minute I heard him sing, and then I saw the beauty that he is. The way he sang, I could tell he had experienced a lot of what he sang about, and all I wanted to do was hold him, comfort him, take his pain away. That was before I knew he was my mate.”

  Taylor smiled from ear to ear. “So he is your mate? I knew it. That’s so cool.”

  Micah smiled back at him. “Yes, Jesse is my mate.”

  “You need to tell him, Micah. He needs someone good in his life. Paul, the lion, he told me that shifters are crazy about their mates, that they worship them. Jesse needs that in his life.”

  “I would love to just tell him that we’re mates and then take him home and claim him, then spend the next thousand years with him, making him happy. But I somehow think he might object to all of that right now.” Micah sighed.

  “You’re right about that,” Taylor conceded.

  The stripper on the stage came to the end of his routine and left the stage. The music changed and Taylor jumped up. “Well, that’s my cue, cuties. Have to go earn my living. Jesse’s about to go on. Good luck, Micah. If there’s anything I can help you with, just let me know. Bye, guys.” Taylor winked at them, then turned and bounced off down the stairs.

  “I like him.” Raith laughed. “He’s a pissa.”

  Micah nodded his head in agreement. The lights went down, as the spotlight hit the stage, and once again the mesmerizing voice of an angel started to sing. Micah’s eyes were glued to the stage. “God, I’ve never seen anyone as sexy as Jesse. Just look at him, listen to that voice. How do I get through to him?” Micah thought to himself.

  * * * *

  Just as Jesse went into his fifth song, he saw sparks fly from the lights above the stage. Jesse ducked his head and covered it with his arms. People started to scream and back up from the stage. The lights started to fall toward Jesse. Strong arms encircled him and ran him off the stage out of the way. Jesse grabbed onto those strong arms as tight as he could, he was so scared he could hardly catch his breath.

  “It’s okay, Jesse, I’ve got you baby, it’s okay, you’re safe.” Micah soothed him as he held onto Jesse tight. His heart was pounding, his breath coming out in quick pants as he held onto his most precious gift.

  The club was in chaos, people were screaming and running for the exits as the lights crashed to the stage right where Jesse had been standing. The lights started to catch fire as some of the bouncers ran to the stage with fire extinguishers. Thomas, Raith, Gabriel, Lexi, Crew, and Frank all came running over to Micah and Jesse.

  “Oh my gods, Jesse, are you all right?” Frank asked.

  Jesse was shaking, clinging onto Micah as if his life depended on it. “Yes, Frank, I’m okay. Thanks to Micah.”

  Micah growled out. “Frank, close up, send everyone home, don’t worry about tabs. Raith, Thomas, go up there and check on the rest of those lights. Make sure no others are coming down. Lexi, Crew, help the staff get everyone out safely.”

  “Yes, Alpha,” they all answered together, then took off to do as ordered. Frank scratched his head as he looked at Micah. “I don’t understand, we just had an inspection last week. The guy would have told me if there was a problem.”

  “I want to see those inspection papers, Frank. My mate could have been killed. Someone could have been hurt. I want to know what the hell happened and I want to know now.” Micah growled angrily.

  “I know Micah, I’m sorry. I’ll go find those papers right after we clear the place out.” Frank hurried off.

  “Gabriel, go check everyone else who was onstage, and anyone who was behind at the time. Make sure everyone’s okay and if anyone needs medical attention.”

  Gabriel nodded his head. “Yes, Alpha.” Then he took off backstage.

  Micah looked down at Jesse, who still had a tight grip on him. Jesse was looking up at him with eyes wide, mouth open and shaking. “It’s okay, Jesse. You’re safe now. I’ve got you,” Micah said gently as he ran a hand along Jesse’s hair, down his back. Jesse tried to talk but his mouth was too dry, and there was a big lump in his throat.

  “A…Al…Alpha? Ma…Ma…Mate? Who are you?” Jesse stammered as he pulled back a little to look up at Micah.

  “I can explain everything, sweetheart. Let’s go to the office and we can talk there while we wait for everybody else, okay?” Micah said gently, so as not to freak Jesse out even more.

  Jesse was still stunned, but gave a nod and stepped back from Micah. Micah was quick and grabbed Jesse’s hand and pulled him along before he could bolt. They walked to the stairs that led up to the V.I.P. section. Jesse pulled on Micah’s hand and tried to stop, but Micah kept going, pulling Jesse along.

  “Wait!” Jesse said in a panic, pulling on his arm. “This isn’t the office. I thought we were going to the office?”

  “We are going to the office. My office,” Micah answered softly. Just then they stopped at a door at the back of the V.I.P. lounge. Jesse had never known this door was here.

  Micah laid his hand on a panel next to the door and a green laser read his palm. Then the door lock clicked open. Micah turned the knob and opened the door. He walked in pulling Jesse along behind him. Jesse’s legs were moving as if on their own, as he allowed Micah to pull him inside. As they entered, the lights went on by themselves. Micah led Jesse over to a beautiful dark brown leather sofa. He sat Jesse down, then walked across the room to a beautiful mahogany bar. It had four matching stools in front of it, and a mirrored wall behind it with shelves of liquor. Micah opened a small fridge, and grabbed a bottle of water.

  Jesse looked around the office. It was amazing. Dark hardwood floor, with a big mahogany desk, two large matching chairs in front, facing the desk. A big brown leather chair behind the desk, and behind that, the whole wall of the office was floor to ceiling windows that looked down onto the club.

  Micah returned to sit in a leather chair next to the couch and placed the water bottle on the table in front of Jesse. “Here, is this okay, or do you need something stronger? I have anything you want. Just name it and it’s yours.” Micah smiled shyly.

  Oh, hell no! Nobody this big and hot should look even better blushing. God he’s breathtaking, I can’t believe this big beautiful Alpha is actually blushing. “No, the water is fine. Thank you,” Jesse answered as he reached a shaking hand for the bottle. He opened it then took a long gulp and screwed the top back on and held the bottle in his lap.

  “Are you sure you’re okay, Jesse?” Micah asked with concern etched across his face.

  Just as Jesse was about to answer, the office door burst open and Taylor came rushing in with Raith and Thomas behind him. Taylor ran over to Jesse and launched himself at him, holding onto Jesse tight as he sat next to him. “OMG, Jesse! Are you okay, sweetie? Are you hurt anywhere?” Taylor pulled back and started looking over Jesse’s body for injuries. “What do you need? What can I do? You scared the crap out of me!” Taylor grabbed onto Jesse and hugged him tight again. “I thought my heart stopped when that light fell toward you. What the fuck happened?” Taylor pulled away again, but kept a hold on Jesse’s hand.

  Raith and Thomas sat in the other chairs around the coffee table. Jesse held Taylor’s hand as he gave Taylor a stunned look. Micah was smiling at Taylor. “Taylor, slow down, take a breath, and let him answer you.” Taylor gave a quick look at Micah then looked back
to Jesse. “Sorry, sweety, go ahead.”

  Jesse looked around at the others. Micah was smiling softly, Raith had an amused smirk on his face, and Thomas’s face was expressionless. It was blank and stoic. It made Jesse swallow and look away to Taylor.

  “Yes, Tay, I’m fine. It didn’t hit me, thanks to Micah.” Jesse shot a quick look at Micah with a slight nod. “And no, I don’t need anything, and I don’t know what the hell happened.”

  “That’s what we’re going to find out,” Micah said, then looked at his betas. “Raith, Thomas, what did you find out?”

  “It looks like the wire was cut, about halfway through, and the clips that hold the lights onto the bracket were removed. So it was just a matter of time before the weight of the lights on the wire finally gave, and came crashing down,” Thomas answered.

  “So it was purposely cut?” Jesse asked, swallowing loudly.

  “It appears so.” Raith answered.

  “Why would someone do that?” Taylor asked, horrified.

  “It could have been anything. Revenge, or to scare someone. Maybe cause trouble for the club,” Raith guessed, shrugging his shoulders.

  “That’s true.” Micah sighed as he ran his hands down his face. “It does mean that it wasn’t meant for Jesse specifically. It could have dropped at any time. So it could have been anyone on that stage at the time.”

  “Wait, what? Why would anyone want to hurt Jesse? We don’t know anyone here. We stay mostly to ourselves. We don’t make waves,” questioned Taylor.

  “That’s what they meant, sweety,” Jesse said to Taylor, squeezing his hand. “It could have been anyone, not just me they were after. I was just the lucky one on the stage when it happened.”

  “What about any men that the two of you have been with? Any of the countless, nameless of them, maybe you pissed off? Maybe someone wasn’t happy with the wham-bam-thank-you-man you do,” Thomas said coldly.

  Micah looked at Thomas curiously. Raith was staring at him with daggers in his eyes. Taylor’s jaw dropped open and his eyebrows shot into his hairline. Jesse stared at Thomas, seething. Looking at him like he wanted to vault over the table and strangle him. Jesse’s jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed. “Fuck you, asshole!”

  Jesse jumped up from the couch. “You don’t know me! You don’t know Taylor! How dare you talk to us like that, you fucking piece of shit. Let’s go, Tay. Fuck this!” Jesse grabbed Taylor’s hand and they headed for the door. “Fuck all of you for that matter, we don’t need this shit!”

  Micah jumped up and ran after them. “Wait! Jesse, wait, please just wait a minute.”

  Jesse stopped, but didn’t turn around. “What?!”

  Micah approached him. Taylor was looking between them. Micah touched Jesse’s shoulder and a shock ran up his arm, straight to his groin. Jesse gasped at the contact as his body started to heat up again. “Jesse, can you please just let us look into this before we jump to any conclusions? Please, let’s just try to figure this out. Let me talk to everyone, get all the information I can, then I’ll come talk to you. Okay?”

  Jesse half turned and looked at Micah. His face was full of pure rage. He narrowed his eyes at Micah. “Who the hell are you?” he asked calmly.

  “I am Micah Angel, Alpha of the Angel pack. This is my pack, my club, my town. Most of the people in this town are pack. Frank runs this place for me, but I’m the owner. So if something goes on in my town, I will find out what, who, and why.”

  “You said you thought I was your mate,” Jesse seethed through clenched teeth, looking at Micah’s chest.

  “Yes, you are my mate, Jesse. I know it, I don’t think it,” Micah answered cautiously.

  “So what does that mean exactly?” Jesse asked.

  Micah took one of Jesse’s hands in his, then with his other hand he put a finger under Jesse’s chin and lifted his face until Jesse was looking him in the eye. Micah gave Jesse a soft smile, with tenderness in his eyes. “That means that fate made us for each other. It means that I will do everything in my power to always protect you, always. But I was hoping to have the mating conversation later in private.”

  “Protect me?” Jesse said with disdain in his voice and a cold look in his eyes. “Protect me?” he repeated. “That’s why you sat there and allowed your friend there to talk to me like that?”

  “Thomas didn’t mean anything. He was just asking if there may be someone who is angry with you.”

  “Yeah, Riiiight,” Taylor said with his hands fisted on his hips, glaring at Thomas. “He pretty much just called us whores and you’re sticking up for him? Nice, Micah, real nice,” Taylor finished coldly.

  “We’re just trying to get to the bottom of this. To look at all the angles,” Micah said in frustration.

  “Yeah, well, maybe Thomas did it! Maybe he has some sick reason. Maybe he’s just a total fucktard!” Jesse sneered at Thomas. A flash of something Jesse couldn’t make out crossed Thomas’s eyes, but he covered it up quickly and narrowed his eyes at Jesse.

  “What reason would I have to do something like that to our own club?” Thomas asked calmly.

  “How the hell should I know, we don’t know you. Just like you don’t know us. Maybe you’re just a psycho asshole.” Taylor smiled at that last part.

  “Enough!” Micah yelled. “We’re not getting anywhere throwing names at each other. Let’s just sit down and calmly talk about this.”

  Jesse grabbed Taylor’s hand and turned to leave. “Let’s go, Tay. We have better things to do than sit here with these assholes. There are at least twenty to thirty hot guys still down there that we haven’t fucked yet. If we start now we can get to all of them by sunrise.” Jesse and Taylor headed across the V.I.P. lounge toward the stairs.

  Micah ran after them and grabbed Jesse’s arm and turned him around. He grabbed onto both of Jesse’s arms and held him tight. “You’re mine, Jesse! I better never find another man touching you! You belong to me!” Micah pulled Jesse into him and smashed their lips together hard. Jesse tried to pull away. He fought to get out of Micah’s hold, but he couldn’t. He kept his lips tightly closed. The passion and anger in Micah’s eyes and lips were playing with Jesse’s resolve.

  Micah’s tongue came out and swiped across the seam of Jesse’s lips, demanding entry. Jesse lost the battle as his head started to swim. He opened his lips slightly, and it was just enough for Micah to take advantage and he slipped his tongue into Jesse’s mouth.

  Their tongues battled for dominance. A growl escaped Micah as his arms wrapped around Jesse. The growl sent a thrill through Jesse and he melted against Micah, submitting to him, as he held onto Micah’s shirt. Micah’s wolf was overjoyed at Jesse’s submission. He wanted to claim their mate right now. Micah kept one arm wrapped around Jesse’s waist and moved the other to grab the back of his head, holding him tight. His heart and head were soaring with the knowledge that his mate was finally in his arms. Jesse tasted better than anything on this planet. He tasted of chocolate, cinnamon, and a hint of lavender. Jesse’s lips were so soft and his body fit Micah’s perfectly. A small moan escaped Jesse and Micah smiled against Jesse’s lips with a small chuckle.

  That was enough to bring Jesse to his senses. His eyes popped open and he flattened both palms against Micah’s chest. Jesse pushed with all his strength as he pulled his head back. Breathing hard, Micah and Jesse just stared at each other. Micah’s hands were still on Jesse’s hips when he started to speak. “Jesse…” He was cut off when Jesse smacked him across the face as hard as he could. Then Jesse cursed from the pain as he pulled his hand into his chest, holding it with his other hand. Holy shit! What is this guy made of…concrete? Jesse thought to himself. Micah stepped back from Jesse, his face emotionless. He just stared blankly at Jesse.

  “How dare you! Don’t you ever fucking touch me again! I don’t care who you say I am to you. I belong to no one! You can all go fuck yourselves!” Jesse yelled. He turned and ran down the stairs. Taylor stopped at the top of the stairs and turne
d toward Micah. He looked right into Micah’s eyes and sighed as his face softened. “Idiot.” He rolled his eyes. “You just blew it. I told you to go slow, to take it easy with him. You say you’re his mate, yet you didn’t even stand up for him just now with that asswipe, piece of slug trail.” Taylor pointed to Thomas, who was standing with Raith by the office door, watching everything. “I told you to never hurt him, and it’s the first thing you do. Don’t ask me to help you now. You don’t deserve him, and you don’t realise how big you just fucked up. Huge.” Taylor turned around and started heading down the stairs. “Maybe we’ll see you around sometime, bitches. Have a nice life.” Taylor disappeared down the stairs.

  Micah was just standing there, frozen, mouth hanging open, tears started to burn the backs of his eyes. He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t think, as Taylor’s words all sank in. “I just lost my mate. Before I even had a chance to have him, I lost him. What the hell just happened? What the fuck have I done?”

  Micah started to hyperventilate as he started to get angry. The pain in his chest was crushing him. His stomach twisted and his wolf was howling, raging mad at him for letting their mate get away. He was fighting to get to the surface to go after their mate and claim him. Micah was fighting to control his wolf, but he couldn’t. His teeth ripped through his gums, and his eyes went feral. He couldn’t control it. His wolf was taking over.

  “Oh shit!” Raith cursed. “Thomas, grab him. Help me get him into the office. Now!” Raith yelled as he leapt forward and grabbed one side of Micah. Thomas grabbed the other and they wrestled Micah into the office and closed the door. Micah lost his hold on his wolf and he shifted. His wolf ripped out of him painfully. Then the loudest, most pain-filled heartache of a howl was released. Thomas and Raith both covered their ears and cringed at the sound.