by Sara Dailey
“Thanks. Definitely. We will be there, right Scarlett?” I replied trying to sound excited.
“Absolutely! Thanks Teagan,” Scarlett added.
“All right, well we will see you there,” Aiden said, taking Teagan by the hand and leading her out of the lodge.
“Perfect chance for you to work your magic tonight. But you know, it seems this pack is falling apart without our help. This is going to be too easy,” I whispered to Scarlett.
CHAPTER 7
Luke
Tonight’s meeting, with the exception of seeing Scarlett, was a complete disaster. I swear our pack was on the verge of ripping each other into shreds over this alpha debacle. Why couldn’t Aiden just bow out like a man? Marcus may be irate, but he would have to move past it and then the rest of the pack would be happy.
Not only that, but what the hell was Edward thinking? He wasn’t even on the council and certainly had no right to speak out so publicly against our alpha. He had always been an outspoken prick, but now it looked like he had a death wish or something. Our pack may be divided on the issue, but they should know better than to cross Marcus, especially with that damn Fixer in the room. That guy was seriously creepy and looked as if he wouldn’t have a problem “fixing” anything, or anybody for that matter.
I couldn’t deny the fact that Scarlett’s father completely freaked me out. And it wasn’t just because of his size or that crazy, messed-up scar on his lip and those fucked-up eyes of his. Mostly it was because no one really knew why or how he came to be known as “The Fixer.” It wasn’t a title typically given within a pack, but he was well known, and apparently he was called on often from other packs when they needed a problem resolved.
I took a look around the room and quickly decided that it would be best just to get the hell out of there. I wanted to talk to Scarlett, but definitely not with her father standing right there. I’d just have to wait until tonight. Just smile and keep moving, I thought to myself as I hurried passed the throng of elders still gathered, still arguing outside the lodge. I could hear some of the elders whispering about me, wondering what I thought of the whole Cade/Aiden alpha situation. Ignoring their stares, I moved quickly past them, hoping they wouldn’t stop me to ask.
“Stanton, hold up,” Gage yelled as he hurried to catch up to me.
I didn’t want to stop there, so I kept walking until I was far enough away from the crazed elders with their prying eyes and burning ears.
“Dude! Wait up! What’s up with you?” he huffed.
I stopped abruptly. “Nothing, man. I just wanted to get away from the elders. I’m trying my best to stay as far away from that mess as possible.” Gage turned back to check out the animated conversation taking place just outside the lodge doors and then chuckled to himself.
“Are you going down to the lake tonight?” I asked.
“Yeah, I guess. Hey, was it my imagination or was the new girl eye-raping you during the meeting?” Gage asked with a knowing grin.
It was my turn to chuckle now. Scarlett was anything but subtle. Suddenly, I wondered if anyone else had noticed, and my tiny moment of amusement faded fast. I didn’t want to be next on her father’s hit list.
Gage looked around as if to ensure no one was within earshot. “I’d be careful with that one, man. You did see her scary-ass father, right? He looks like he could be a mob boss or something. Seriously, bro. I’d watch yourself.”
It was as if Gage had read my mind. “No shit. That mofo gives me a seriously bad vibe. He’s the one who came up to help with the were-hunter situation a couple of weeks ago. That’s when I met Scarlett. We’ve been talking, or rather texting, ever since. But that’s it,” I explained.
“Talking, huh? Well, I don’t think it will take you long to move to the next level with that one. She’s freakin’ hot. But like I said, watch out for the dad. Anyway, listen, if something comes up and you can’t make it tonight, call me. I don’t want to go if you aren’t.”
“No one blames you, Gage. We’re all glad that you’re back. Cade wanted you to know that. He told me yesterday. Hell, he knew you were back before I did,” I said.
He looked skeptical, so I continued, “Just go tonight. I will be there, but don’t expect me to hold your hand or anything.”
He laughed. “I’m sure your hands will be busy anyway if Scarlett has anything to say about it.”
Was it really that obvious? I knew the moment I met her that we definitely had some crazy chemistry, and apparently it was no secret. I’d have to be more careful. I had a feeling Marcus wouldn’t be too happy if I hooked up with our new visitor. Plus, I didn’t want to end up being a problem that Scarlett’s father needed to “fix”.
Gage and I had just started walking away from the lodge when I heard my father calling my name. At the same time, we turn back to look over our shoulders. As luck would have it, Dad was waving me over, so I fist-bumped Gage and said, “Duty calls. See you later, man.”
Dad ushered me inside and once the door was shut behind us he explained, “Marcus called a meeting with the elders. He wants you, Cade, and Aiden to be there.”
“Great. This should be good,” I mumbled as we entered a small meeting room. Marcus sat at the head of a long table and the elders were seated along both sides of it. My father took the empty chair next to Marcus, and I wandered over to join Aiden and Cade who were sitting across from each other at the other end, completely ignoring the other’s presence. There was an empty seat between Cade and Mrs. Michaels, Cade’s grandmother, so I took it. She smiled politely and then turned her attention to Marcus.
Marcus stood and cleared his throat to gather everyone’s attention. “I’ve called you all here today to discuss the situation regarding our future alpha. As you know, I am well aware of the fact that we are not all in agreement, but a decision needs to be made. It is rumored that another pack has made claims of a takeover. We all know that this type of thing doesn’t happen often but isn’t unheard of. They see our pack as weak. We are divided and the future leadership of our pack is unclear.”
Marcus paused for a moment before he continued. “Therefore, we need to come together and be in agreement. We need to make sure this pack is a united force. I’m not an unreasonable man. Many of you have made it known that you will be backing Cade as alpha. However, not all of you feel this way. There are others who have spoken to me in confidence and assured me that they will stand by whatever decision I make. I’ve made it clear that I am backing my elder son. I could easily use my position of power and make this decision myself. But as I said, I am not an unreasonable man, and I have decided that this decision needs to be ours. As of now, both Aiden and Cade are ready and willing to take on this role.” Marcus turned his attention to his two sons and asked, “Correct?”
They both nodded in agreement but neither chose to speak. Marcus nodded as well before he started speaking once again. “Then there are only two options. One, we can vote as a council. Or two, Aiden and Cade will be given the opportunity to fight for the position.”
There was a collective gasp among the table as they all began to eye one another, but oddly enough, again nobody said a word. Instead they waited for Marcus to finish his speech. “I know this hasn’t been done in a very long time, but it is the way it was handled in the past and has always been an option if someone chose to oppose the alpha’s heir taking over. Fortunately our pack has not been in this situation during any of our lifetimes, but here we are. My decision has been made.”
Marcus asked his sons to stand. With Aiden and Cade standing side by side at the end of the table, their father addressed them both. “You have one week. The decision is now in your hands. You can fight for leadership or allow your council to decide for you a week from today.”
Turning to the elders, Marcus told his council that there was much more to discuss about a possible attack from another pack and assured them that he would address any questions they may have in a moment, but not before Aiden, Cade, and I were e
xcused. I stood and exited the room behind the guys. We were silent as we left the lodge and I figured it would only make things more stressful if I said anything. I wasn’t sure what to say anyway, so I kept my mouth shut and watched as they took off in opposite directions.
*****
I couldn’t even escape the alpha talk in my own home. The minute I walked in from my workout, my dad stopped me.
“Are you going out tonight?” I had a feeling he only asked as a lead-in to talking about the meeting.
“Yeah, we’re all meeting at the lake. It’s okay, right?” I knew he wouldn’t mind. He never stood in my way and rarely told me what to do, but I always asked permission and he always said yes. It was just the way it was. It had always been just the two of us; my mother died during childbirth, and Dad never remarried. Sure, he’d had a couple of girlfriends over the years, but he was never serious about any of them. Not that I’d ever wanted a stepmother, but I’d always kind of felt bad for him. He deserved to have someone in his life, but he’d never given anyone a chance. Though we’d always been close, we’d never talked about it. It was kind of an unspoken rule, but I knew it was because he’d never gotten over my mother. Regardless, he has always had my back, and I have always tried to stay of out trouble. The last thing he needed was a shitty kid. Don’t get me wrong, I was no angel, but at least I tried.
“Of course you can go. You know you don’t have to ask,” he said, and then, just as I expected, the questions began. “Hey son, have you given any thought to who you would support as alpha. If it comes to that?”
I dropped to the sofa. I didn’t want to fight with him. Surely he would support Marcus and side with Aiden. “I don’t get a vote, so does it even matter?”
He looked puzzled, which for some reason I found hilarious. He actually wanted me to pick a side. After all these years of staying out of it, of just being the support, the muscle, now I was expected to pick a side. What if I sided with the wrong guy? What then? What if I backed Cade, and Aiden ended up being alpha? How awkward would that be? What would I say to Aiden then? I could see it now: Sorry, man, I just thought your brother was the better candidate. No hard feelings, right? Somehow I didn’t see Cade or Aiden being cool with that and then trusting me to be their second.
“You must have an opinion, son,” my father finally said. “Who do you think would be the better man for the job?”
I didn’t even want to go there. “What do you think?” I asked trying to turn the tables on him.
“Cade,” he declared without any hesitation whatsoever. That was not what I was expecting. He’s the enforcer, our alpha’s right-hand man. He was definitely not supposed to go against his alpha.
“Whoa! Are you seriously siding against Marcus?” I asked, unable to mask my shock.
“When it’s for the good of the pack, yes,” he admitted. “Look, from what I can tell, Aiden is a nice enough kid. And I have never seen anyone stand up to Marcus the way he has, but Cade was raised for this job. It would be like someone coming in and trying to take your place. We cannot allow that to happen to Cade.”
“Does Marcus know how you feel?”
My father furrowed his eyebrows and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Not yet. But he will soon enough. This is going to happen soon, so you need to decide what you’re going to do.”
“Like I said, I don’t get a vote, so I really think that I should stay out of it,” I told him.
“You might not be able to, son. You may not get to vote, but trust me, the elders are going to want to know who you are backing. I need to know who you are backing. We need to be together on this,” he explained.
I never dreamed that my father would ever side against Marcus. Relieved, I finally admitted the truth. “I’ve always been on Cade’s side. It’s been my job to have his back since I was old enough to understand what that meant, and things like that don’t change.” Then without another word, I got up, gave him a tap on the shoulder, and went to get ready for the lake.
CHAPTER 8
Scarlett
I’d barely made it through the front door before Drew cornered me in the foyer. “So, what’s the plan, Sis? Tonight is the perfect opportunity to sink your teeth into Luke. I saw you two eyeing each other all through the meeting. Almost got a hard-on watching it.”
I backed up a bit and turned around to put my purse down on the console table. God, I hadn’t even had the chance to hang up my coat, and he’s already up my ass about Luke. What does he expect me to do? Strip him down and screw his brains out right there in front of the bonfire?
When I turned back around, Drew was only inches away. One step closer, and we’d be taking our brother-sister status to a whole new level. Refusing to back away, which I was quite sure was what he wanted me to do since he loved to make me as uncomfortable as possible, I planted my feet and whispered in his ear, “Don’t worry, Brother. I can be very convincing when I need to be.” Then I let my lips gently graze his ear before I moved away. He sucked in his breath and held it for just a split second.
Two could play that game.
Drew quickly regained his composure and replied, “Well, good. You’re going to need to be. You need to get in this guy’s head and preferably his pants, too. We need Luke on our side. The sooner, the better. Then we can get the hell out of this town.”
I looked around at our new digs, and said, “Oh, it’s not so bad. Did you see the hot tub on the back patio?”
Drew shot me a crooked grin, and suddenly I regretted mentioning it. Who knew what dirty little thoughts were going through his mind?
“Hmmm … hot tub? You might want to work that into the convincing plans you have for Luke.”
As I turned around to head upstairs, I said, “I’ll keep that in mind. I’m going to go get ready. Big night ahead.”
As soon as I made it to my room, I began rummaging through the clothes I’d packed, searching for the perfect outfit. If only we lived in LA and it was 70 degrees out in December. Life would be so much easier, especially when trying to seduce a guy. You could only look so sexy in a sweater and a coat, topped off with a scarf and mittens if you didn’t want to freeze. Even being a werewolf, I still felt ridiculously cold at night. How did domestics survive here in the mountains?
Finally, I settled on a tight, low-cut sweater and my favorite coat. It was form fitting, and when I zipped it up just right, it showed off the perfect amount of cleavage. I’d yet to meet a guy who didn’t sneak a peek. Surely Luke would be no different. From what I’ve heard, he has a hard time resisting anything with a pretty face and a pulse. I just needed to make sure I could hold his attention long enough to sway him to Aiden’s side and divide this pack even further. From what I saw at the meeting, it didn’t seem as if it would take long.
I only had about an hour before we needed to leave, so I grabbed what I needed and hurried to the shower. I needed to look and smell my best. I had work to do.
Forty-seven minutes later, I had showered, shaved, applied the perfect amount of make-up, curled my hair, and pinned it up into a messy up-do so it didn’t look like I was trying too hard. I found my favorite jeans, shimmied into them, and slipped my sweater over my head, careful not to mess up my hair. Then I dug my knee-high boots out of my suitcase and pulled them on over my skinny jeans. Oh yeah, Luke was totally in trouble.
After zipping up my coat to just below the sweet spot, I turned to the full-length mirror on the wall. And there I was, standing there looking just exactly as I had planned. It was me, just somehow not me. It wasn’t like this was the first time I’d gone out planning to catch a guy’s attention, but for some reason, this time it was different. Did I really want to do this? Could I? Truth be told, I wasn’t near as “experienced” as everyone one in my pack thought.
It’s not like I didn’t like Luke. What’s not to like? He’s super hot and seemed like a decent guy. Maybe that was the problem. I did like him. Would this be easier if I didn’t? Definitely not. Then it really would feel li
ke I was “whoring myself out” as my brother so eloquently put it. I took a step closer to the mirror and looked at myself. I mean really looked at myself. Staring back at me was a girl I hardly recognized.
I’d never been an angel, and was about as far from the Mother-Teresa type as you could get. All of a sudden, this whole thing just felt wrong. My own father expected me to lure a guy into falling for me so I could screw with his head. Now, after seeing Luke today at the meeting, the way he was looking at me, the way he made my stomach do freakin’ flip-flops, I wasn’t sure what to think. I tried to remind myself that Luke went through girls like toilet paper. That he probably only wanted to get in my pants. It wasn’t like he was going to fall in love with me or anything.
Unfortunately it didn’t help. I'd jumped at the chance to help my dad so quickly that I guess I didn’t really think about what this all meant. Gavin tried to tell me, but I refused to listen. Suddenly I felt cheap. Slutty. And the girl staring back at me in the mirror only confirmed it.
Just as I was about to find something else to wear, there was a knock at my door. Drew didn’t bother to wait for me to invite him in before the door swung open. He stopped in mid-step, and I watched as his eyes made their way up my body. Just as expected, his eyes stopped right at my chest and remained there as he said, “Holy shit, you are smokin’ hot! Luke doesn’t stand a chance.”
I pushed aside the urge to change clothes, grabbed my purse, and said, “Thanks. Let’s get out of here.” He moved aside only slightly as I walked through the door, forcing me to brush up against him. I tried my best not to outwardly cringe and desperately tried to ignore the fact that he made me feel even sluttier than I already did.
