Wolf of her Own

by N. J. Walters

  Louis sat on the arm of her chair and caught hold of her hand once again, wrapping his much larger one securely around it.

  She expected questions about Troy and what had happened. She didn’t really want to talk about it but knew Jacque needed answers. He was more than just her son. He was alpha.

  Jacque leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs. His golden-brown eyes stared into hers. “You want to tell me what’s going on between you and Mikhail?”

  Chapter Twenty

  Elise startled slightly. Mikhail knew that wasn’t what she was expecting her son to ask her. He, on the other hand, wasn’t the least bit surprised. She licked her lips and glanced up at him.

  “We’ve been seeing one another,” he began.

  Jacque silenced him with a glare. “I wasn’t asking you.”

  His wolf bristled, but this was Elise’s son and her alpha. Mikhail looked to Elise. He’d take his cue from her. As if sensing his gaze, she glanced up at him and nodded. It went against the grain to allow anyone to interrogate her, but he understood. These were her children. They deserved answers. He only wished he was the one giving them.

  “Do you want something to drink or eat? Coffee? Pie?” She almost always had pie, since she knew he enjoyed it so much. Maybe he couldn’t stop the questions, but he could see to her comfort.

  “Coffee would be nice.” She swallowed. “Thank you.”

  Mikhail glared at both men, silently warning them against upsetting their mother. Jacque scowled, but Louis looked more amused than angry. He didn’t care what they thought of him.

  No, that wasn’t true. He knew it would matter to Elise. She’d want them to get along. With his wolf grumbling and growling inside him, he stalked to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. Thankfully, the open layout allowed him to keep an eye on the situation.

  Elise licked her lips and fisted her free hand in her bathrobe. “We’ve spent some time together.”

  Jacque leaned forward, and Elise leaned back in her chair before she caught herself. A growl welled up inside Mikhail, but he swallowed it back. It wasn’t his place to deal with Elise’s sons.

  He filled the coffeepot and switched it on. He wanted to go to Elise but made himself stay in the kitchen. It was up to her to ask for his presence if she needed him. Otherwise, he’d have to let her handle the situation on her own.

  He didn’t bother with the pie. None of them were really in the mood to eat.

  “How much time?” Jacque asked.

  Elise shrugged. “Some.”

  Mikhail’s frown deepened as she tried to downplay their relationship. He tried not to take it personally, but it was difficult.

  “What about Troy?” Elise asked. “Is he gone?”

  Jacque lowered his head and sighed. “Yes, he’s gone. His pack took him home.”

  When she started to shiver, Louis snagged a throw off the back of the chair and draped it over her. She thanked him and then gave Jacque her attention once again. “But will he stay there?”

  Jacque shrugged. “Troy Burdette has big problems. He got his ass handed to him by one of us. That has to get his pack thinking he’s not as strong as they think he is. I expect he’ll be challenged before long, possibly even killed.”

  Mikhail was shocked to hear him referred to as “one of us.” He’d come a long way since the day he’d first arrived. Maybe it wasn’t official, but he was a part of this pack.

  A sense of belonging, of rightness, swelled up inside him.

  “Troy most likely won’t make it out of the leadership challenges alive.” Jacque rubbed his hand over his face. “This situation is a total mess.” He glanced toward the door. “And it’s about to get even messier.”

  A short rap sounded on the door. Before any of them could move to open it, the door was shoved open. Hannah stood there with Reece behind her. The poor girl was as pale as snow.

  “I’m so sorry, Elise.” Hannah stumbled forward and stopped when both Jacque and Louis turned their attention her way.

  Mikhail didn’t think it was possible for the girl to get any paler, but she did. Reece wrapped his arm around her waist to offer support.

  “My uncle told us what happened?” Reece’s eyes were dark with sorrow. “We’re so sorry, Elise.”

  Mikhail knew the young man truly loved Elise and thought of her as family.

  “It’s not your fault,” Elise reassured them.

  The words were barely out of her mouth when Sage showed up with Rina in tow. Not surprising. The twins were so closely linked, Sage would have sensed Reece’s upset. Rina glanced his way, and her eyes widened. He shook his head. Now was not the time for questions about his presence.

  Hannah broke away from Reece’s grasp and stumbled toward Elise. Jacque caught her before she fell and eased her to her knees. Hannah buried her face in Elise’s lap and started to cry.

  The men all stared at one another, at a loss as to what they should do. Jacque stepped away and pulled his phone out of his pocket. “You need to get over here,” he told his mate as soon as she answered. Mikhail couldn’t quite hear what Gwen said, but he recognized her voice.

  Jacque hung up, pocketed his phone, and turned to Mikhail. “That coffee ready?”

  Mikhail opened a cupboard and took down mugs. He knew the alpha couldn’t miss the fact that Mikhail knew exactly where to find them. He filled several mugs as the men gathered around the counter.

  Elise was incredible. She’d been attacked, yet here she was comforting the younger woman. Hannah was distraught, her sobs shaking her entire body. Rina knelt beside Hannah and patted her on the back while Elise rubbed her hair.

  Mikhail was proud of both the women in his life.

  “It’s not your fault,” Elise told Hannah. “You’re not responsible for the choice your father made tonight, no more than you’re responsible for him abandoning you when you were a teenager. He made his choices, and now he has to live with them.”

  Hannah raised her tearstained face. “I’m never going to see him again, am I?”

  “Do you want to?” Elise’s voice was soft with understanding.

  Hannah shook her head. “Not after tonight. He hurt you.” Tears rolled down her face. Her look of anguish was so raw Mikhail wanted to go and comfort her, but it wasn’t his place.

  Elise brushed Hannah’s red hair away from her face. “Then we’ll put this behind us and forget it ever happened.” She took a deep breath. “I don’t think we’ll be seeing him again.”

  Mikhail knew she was thinking about the challenges the alpha would have to face. It occurred to him that she’d probably witnessed several of those challenges in the past. Being mated to an alpha, it was inevitable.

  He looked at the men around him and revised that idea. It was inevitable in just about every pack except this one. They’d fight to the death to protect their alpha, not to take him down.

  Jacque set his coffee mug down on the counter and strode to the door. A rush of cold air swirled inside, announcing Gwen’s arrival. The big man wrapped his arms around his mate as soon as she stepped inside. He buried his face in her neck and inhaled her scent.

  Jealousy was not a pretty emotion, but Mikhail felt it biting at him. Everyone else in the pack, outside the children, had mates. He wanted to be able to publicly claim Elise. He knew they’d made strides in their relationship, especially tonight, but Elise could just as easily withdraw from him if her children objected.

  The conversation had been shelved for now, but Mikhail knew it was far from over.

  Gwen left Jacque and went to Elise’s side. She sat on the arm of the chair and hugged her mother-in-law. Elise returned the hug just as fiercely. There was no doubting the love between the two women.

  “How are you feeling?” Gwen touched the bruise on Elise’s forehead. “That has to hurt.”

  “It’s not too bad,” Elise told her.

  Mikhail knew she’d say that regardless. He filled more mugs with coffee, picked up two, and carried them into
the living room. He was very aware of every eye watching him.

  “Here.” He held out the first mug to Elise. “This will help warm you.” He really wanted to pull her into his arms and warm her with his body. The coffee he made would have to suffice for now.

  “Thank you.” Her smile was weak and wavered slightly, but she managed.

  He handed the other mug to Gwen. She looked bemused but took it. “Thank you, Mikhail.” She looked at Jacque, but he was as inscrutable as always, giving nothing away.

  Gwen set the mug on a side table. “You should be in bed resting.” She stood and reached for Elise. “Any questions can wait until the morning.” None of the men missed the censure in her voice. “Come on.” Her voice gentled as she drew Elise to her feet.

  No matter how many times he’d witnessed it since his arrival, he was still shocked when the women issued orders and the alpha conceded without question. They loved and respected their women.

  Mikhail wanted to swoop in and carry her, but she didn’t ask for his help. She didn’t even look his way as Gwen and the younger women helped her down the hallway to her bedroom. They’d smell his presence in her room. He took a perverse comfort in that small detail.

  The door closed with a thud, leaving the men on the outside.

  Jacque pinned Mikhail with a stare. “I think we need to take this conversation outside.”

  …

  Elise knew it was cowardly to leave Mikhail to deal with her sons on his own, but she was too physically and emotionally exhausted to deal with anything else tonight. Plus, the men were all adults. They could wait. Hannah might be an adult, but right at this very moment, she was a child at heart, dealing with the betrayal of her only living parent.

  She needed comfort. And it helped Elise to be able to give it. She wouldn’t let Troy steal his daughter’s happiness.

  Rina rushed ahead and pulled back the covers. Her nose crinkled, and her eyes widened. “Has my brother been in here?” Then she slapped her hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “That was totally inappropriate.”

  Elise was leaning on Gwen more than she wanted, grateful for her daughter-in-law’s support. Her legs weren’t as steady as they’d been. And now that some time had passed and the adrenaline had subsided, she was feeling every little ache and pain. She was also exhausted.

  She waited until she was propped up in bed with the covers over her before she answered Rina. It was more awkward than she’d imagined. She’d always worried about what Jacque and Louis might think if they found out she and Mikhail were seeing one another. It had never occurred to her to wonder what his sister might think.

  She was unaccountably nervous. “Yes, Mikhail’s been in here.” She really didn’t know what to tell the younger woman. “We’ve spent some time together.”

  Elise wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but it wasn’t the huge smile that broke out on Rina’s face. “Really? That’s wonderful.” When Elise didn’t reply, Rina’s frown slipped away. “Isn’t it?”

  “It’s complicated,” Elise told her.

  Hannah was hovering behind Gwen, so Elise motioned her forward. “Come here.” She waited until Hannah sat beside her and took her hand. “You are not to blame for any of this. Don’t let your fath—” She cut herself off before she called the man Hannah’s father. He didn’t deserve the honor. “Don’t let Troy steal the happiness you’ve found here with Reece.”

  “I just feel responsible.”

  Gwen sat next to Hannah, adding weight to Elise’s words. “Elise is right. I hate to say it, but your father is an idiot. While he might have some redeeming characteristics, since he did raise you, what he did by abandoning you and attacking Elise is unforgivable.”

  The alpha female took a deep breath. “Maybe I’m wrong and you can forgive him, Hannah. That’s okay. But you know he’s not trustworthy.”

  Hannah nodded. “I know. I think I’ve always known.”

  Elise’s heart was breaking for Hannah. It must be tough to realize your father was not only less than perfect, he was also unscrupulous. She could relate. Both her father and her former mate had been scheming, small-minded men. They’d thought themselves strong, but they’d really been weak. Afraid to have other men of strength around them.

  Rina wasn’t saying much. She was sitting on the pink bench at the end of the bed, a frown on her face.

  Elise closed her eyes and found it hard to open them. The other women continued to talk, but she couldn’t quite understand what they were saying. It all seemed so far away.

  She wondered where Mikhail was. He should be with her. Where was he? That was the last conscious thought she had before she drifted off into the black abyss of sleep.

  …

  The back of Mikhail’s neck itched as he led the men out of Elise’s house. As he’d expected, the other original members of the pack coalesced from the surrounding woods. Cole was in his wolf form, but Armand and Gator were both dressed in jeans and sweaters.

  It surprised him when Sage and Reece came to stand by his side. He was touched by their show of support, but he didn’t want them to jeopardize their place in the pack. “Probably not a good idea,” he told them.

  “You’re my brother-in-law,” Sage reminded him.

  “Jacque is your alpha,” Mikhail countered.

  Jacque stood in front of his friends, hands on his hips and a frown on his face. “How long have you been seeing my mother?”

  Mikhail stepped forward to face the alpha on his own. “Not long. I’ve wanted her since the moment I laid eyes on her last fall.”

  Jacque swore and rubbed a hand over his face. “I knew I should have killed you when you arrived.”

  Both Reece and Sage moved closer to him, but Mikhail didn’t feel threatened. He knew Jacque was just voicing his frustration. “That would have upset Rina,” he pointed out.

  Jacque shook his head, but one corner of his mouth did kick up slightly. “There is that.” He glanced toward Sage. “But she would have gotten over it.”

  “This is no joke.” Louis stepped up beside his brother. “This is our mama.”

  “I know. Believe me, I know.” Mikhail stood tall with his arms loose and his hands open, showing no overt sign of aggression even though his wolf was not happy with this inquisition. As far as the beast was concerned, Elise belonged to them. Mikhail didn’t disagree, but he knew he had to come to some kind of accord with her sons if their relationship was going to survive.

  “Your mother is an incredible woman,” Mikhail reminded them. “She’s strong and kind and giving.” All the men around him nodded. Elise was loved and respected by all the members of the pack.

  “She’s also a vital, sexy woman.” Both her sons swore and most of the other men looked uncomfortable. Only Gator and Cole seemed unfazed. The former crossed his arms and smiled, while the latter simply glared. “You might not want to hear it,” Mikhail continued, “but Elise is lonely. You all have mates and some of you have children. Elise was alone even when she was mated.”

  Jacque gave an aggressive growl. “So you decided to prey on her because she’s lonely.”

  Mikhail was unable to swallow his own growl of anger. He took a step toward Jacque. “No. I want her because she’s mine.” He kept his voice low and contained when he really wanted to yell it to the world. “She’s mine,” he repeated. He rubbed a hand over the ache in his chest. “I want her forever, but I’m afraid I might lose her.”

  Jacque frowned. “Why? She seems to want you. She let you help her have a bath. If that doesn’t signal a level of commitment, I don’t know what does.” Jacque growled and shook himself, while the rest of the older wolves bristled. Sage and Reece seemed surprised, but they still had his back.

  “She fears commitment because of your father.” There was no way to sugarcoat the truth, and Mikhail knew the other wolf wouldn’t want him to. “He made her fear relationships.” He wanted to say Pierre had made her afraid of sex but figured it was better to err on
the side of discretion. Jacque wouldn’t want his mother and sex mentioned in the same sentence.

  “Elise also fears causing any turmoil in the pack. Even after all these years, she’s afraid to voice her own opinion if it differs from yours,” he told Jacque.

  “I don’t know about that. She seemed to have no trouble letting me know she wanted you to stay with her earlier.”

  “She was stressed and not thinking clearly. Believe me, if she thought for one second you didn’t want me with her, might fight me if I stayed, she’d have tossed me out the door.” And that burned Mikhail’s gut and damn near broke his heart. He understood Elise’s fears, but that didn’t make them any easier to handle. Not with his own emotions so raw.

  “And would you leave her alone if I asked?” Jacque’s question made Mikhail’s blood run cold.

  “No.” Best to be blunt. “I want to mate with her and love her for the rest of my life. She’s the only one who can send me away.” As much as he hated to give Jacque any more ammunition, he was brutally honest. “You could convince her to send me away. You could tell her how much our relationship is upsetting you and the rest of the pack.”

  He paused and allowed some time for his words to sink in. “And if you do that, you’ll be consigning her to a life of loneliness. She’s afraid, but she’s so brave. She’s coming alive after all these years. If you pressure her to end our relationship, she’ll do it. Then she’ll retreat back into her safe little shell and stay there. Is that what you want for her?” His voice was almost a whisper by the time he finished.

  His wolf was going crazy inside him, growling and howling and demanding release. His wolf wanted to fight for their mate, but Mikhail held a tight rein on the beast. He had faith in Jacque. He only hoped it wasn’t misplaced.

  The wind whipped around them, snow swirled and bit at his skin. He hadn’t even noticed the cold until this moment. Mikhail wondered how Elise was doing and was glad the other women were with her. He didn’t want her alone. As brave as she was, she would be dealing with the emotional repercussions for quite some time. Physically, she’d probably be fine in a day or less. It was her psychological state that worried him.