by Sara Dailey
Cade took a step toward Aiden but was stopped in his tracks by Aiden’s fist. Aiden landed a hard right across Cade’s jaw. Cade took a few steps back, visibly trembling trying to control the change. For a moment, I thought he had it. I watched him take a deep breath, roll his shoulders back, and shake his head a bit, but then without warning he was on all fours growling a bone-chilling warning to his brother standing before him.
To everyone’s surprise, Aiden didn’t back down. Instead, he smiled wickedly, took off his jacket, and kicked off his shoes. Too soon, I was watching two alpha males ready to attack. I waited, not wanting to overstep, but knowing that it was my job to.
At the first scent of blood I knew I had no choice.
CHAPTER 26
Scarlett
Standing at the edge of the back patio, my mind could hardly wrap itself around the scene taking place before me. It had taken every ounce of willpower I could muster to stay inside when the guys began to make their way out to the fire pit. I had a feeling something bad was bound to happen, especially after watching Drew practically pour alcohol down Cade’s throat. That coupled with the way Cade was eyeballing Aiden, I could only imagine the line of bullshit Drew had been feeding him.
I tried to keep Teagan occupied, but it wasn’t long before the shouting began and everyone was rushing outside. I’d grabbed Teagan by the arm and pulled her back before she ended up caught between two very angry alphas. As soon as Cade and Aiden shifted, I turned my attention to Luke. With frustration written all over his face, Luke’s eyes found mine among the crowd, and seconds later, a menacing growl exploded from deep within his throat and Luke transformed, his wolf form completely looming over the two smaller wolves.
Massive and strong, his muscles rippled under his dark fur as he took off toward Cade and Aiden, who were already well into the throes of a massive brawl. As Luke approached, the wolves separated, but only slightly, just enough for Cade to rear up to attack Aiden once again, but Luke was too close. Instead of striking Aiden, one of Cade’s claws caught Luke and sliced its way down the side of Luke’s face. Luke let out a sinister snarl, and the rest of the pack began backing away from the fight as Luke lunged for both wolves.
With his teeth, Luke grabbed Cade by the back of the neck and tossed him aside. Cade’s body flew through the air and landed in a crumpled pile on the ground several feet away. Turning his attention back to Aiden, Luke slowly prowled toward him, a low growl rumbling from his body. When Aiden backed away immediately, I knew the fight was over. Surely Aiden wouldn’t be stupid enough to make another move when Luke looked more than ready to rip someone’s throat out.
With a towel in hand, Alli ran over to Cade. She covered him as he shifted back and then threw her arms around him once she was sure he was okay. Teagan followed suit, but I noticed no one was there to help Luke. No one came running to his aid, and for a brief moment, I’d almost convinced myself to just walk away, but I couldn’t. Operation Cold Shoulder would have to be put on hold for the moment. I hurried inside and grabbed a small blanket off the couch. Rushing to get back, I noticed Cami with a towel headed toward Luke. She gave me a small smile and stopped. She nodded her head toward Luke as if to give me permission to go to him. I didn’t need permission, but it was kind of her to let me be the one to help him.
My human eyes met those of the enormous wolf before me, and I held the blanket out in front of me but diverted my eyes so that he could shift back. Seconds later, he took the blanket, and as his hand touched mine, a chill ran up my back. I didn’t look at him as I began to walk away, but I didn’t get far. His fingers wrapped around my arm, pulling me to a halt.
“Thank you, Scarlett.” Luke’s husky voice sent me reeling. Feelings I barely understood were brewing inside me, but I couldn’t let him see it. I couldn’t let him see how much his touch affected me. When he didn’t let go, I turned to face him. The blanket was wrapped around his waist, leaving his perfectly sculpted chest exposed. My greedy eyes slowly wandered up to his face, and a small gasp escaped my lips when I noticed the cut along his cheek. Blood ran down the side of his face.
More than anything, I wanted to be the one to help him. Resisting the urge to reach out to touch his cheek, I said, “You’re bleeding.”
He didn’t respond. The softness of his expression shifted in an instance as his eyes left mine to glare back and forth between Aiden and Cade. No words were spoken, but the cold, steely look in his eyes said it all. They needed to get the hell out of there. In no time, Cade and Alli headed off toward Cade’s, and Teagan and Aiden were gone just as quickly. The rest of the pack scattered as well, leaving Luke and me standing there alone.
Luke picked up some athletic shorts that someone must have left him from the ground and began dressing. I turned away to give him some privacy and a chance for me to cool down. The anger in his eyes had only dissipated slightly and heat still radiated from his body even though it was freezing outside.
I hesitantly took the blanket from his hand and held it gently to the gash on his face. “Come inside. Let’s get you cleaned up.” Cade’s claw did quite a bit of damage, and even though he’d heal quickly, it needed to be cleaned so that it didn’t get infected.
With a small smile, Luke took the blanket from my hand, and he slipped his fingers between my own and led me inside. We walked hand in hand past Drew, who, now that the excitement was over, appeared to be quite content out on the porch with Becca. He came up for air just long enough to give me a nod of approval; I, in turn, shook my head in disgust.
The house was ominously quiet, and as Luke and I passed the huge grandfather clock in the living room, I noticed it was close to midnight. So much for ringing in the New Year.
We entered the bathroom, and under the sink I found some alcohol, cotton balls, and butterfly bandages. With my hands full of first-aid supplies, I turned to face Luke. He let the blanket drop from his hands, and to my surprise, his hands found my waist and lifted me up to the sit on the counter, positioning his body between my legs.
“There. Now you can reach me, Nurse Scarlett.”
Heat fired its way through my body, and I felt the blush creeping over my cheeks. Diverting my eyes, I opened the alcohol and wet a cotton ball. Trying to hide the fact that his nearness was all but killing me, I teased, “All right, tough guy. Stay still. I can’t promise this won’t hurt.”
I gently pressed the cotton ball to his cheek. Cringing slightly, he sucked in his breath, and before I could stop it, a smile broke out across my face at the thought of this big, strong guy unable to stand the sting. Unconsciously, my eyes drifted back to his, and his intense gaze caused my already racing pulse to quicken even more.
With his lips only inches from my own, I fought back the urge to lean in and taste him, but I wasn’t giving in. I couldn’t handle the rejection if he turned away, even though I wanted nothing more than to wrap my arms around his neck and force his body closer to mine. Tearing my eyes from his, I hastily opened the butterfly bandages and gently placed them over the fresh wound. Suddenly, Luke’s fingers traced their way across my cheek, then through my hair. With his other hand, he tilted my chin up so that I would look at him once more.
The fire in his eyes caused my body to react in ways I’d never experienced before. Desire pooled deep in my stomach and I suddenly found it hard to breathe. Luke ran his thumb over my needy lips as he leaned in slowly. Staying completely still, I closed my eyes and waited for his perfect mouth to press against my own. Though I couldn’t see him, I knew he was only a breath away. I could feel the heat from his closeness, smell that familiar scent that was all his own. I’d never wanted anything more than just one taste of Luke as I stood there breathing him in.
But just before his lips touched mine, Luke’s phone went off, alerting him of an incoming text. We both flinched and my eyes flew open. His phone sat on the counter next to me, and I couldn’t have stopped myself if I’d tried. Without thinking, I peeked at the screen, and my heart sank at what I r
ead.
Where ya at, baby? ur going to miss my midnight kiss
A stiff moment passed between us and awkwardness filled the air. Trying my best to keep the disappointment out of my voice, I said, “You better go. It will be midnight any minute.” As if on cue, the grandfather clock began to chime announcing that midnight was upon us.
With a deep sigh, Luke looked down and slowly closed his eyes. Barely a second had passed when his hand moved toward the phone, and I knew for sure our moment was over. But he didn’t pick up the phone. Instead he forcefully shoved it aside, and before I could process what was happening his fingers were tangled in my hair and his lips collided with mine.
His kiss was hard and full of need, causing every nerve ending in my body to awaken. With firm hands, he tilted my head to the side, and when a small moan involuntarily escaped from my lips, Luke took the opportunity to deepen the kiss. With his tongue, he explored my mouth while his hands ran down my arms to my waist. He pulled my body forward and pressed himself against me. I wrapped my legs around him as my head fell back. Trailing kisses down my neck, Luke’s hands ran down my thighs and then back up to grab my ass, pulling me even closer. With my fingers entangled in his hair, I gently guided his lips back to mine. I needed more. I needed him. My body ached, called out for him, and I had to force my hands to remain where they were so that I didn’t start tearing my clothes off.
Luke inhaled deeply without breaking our kiss, and I knew he wanted me too. If one of us didn’t pull away, our clothes would surely end up on the bathroom floor. As if he’d read my mind, he kissed me gently one last time and then whispered breathlessly in my ear, “Happy New Year, Scarlett.”
CHAPTER 27
Drew
That was just too easy, I thought as I sat eating my breakfast the morning after the fight. All it took was a little booze to loosen them up and a few encouraging words, and Cade and Aiden did the rest themselves. Well, Becca did help things along. It was freaking fantastic! At first, I thought things were going a little too well at the party, that Cade and Aiden were being too civil, but as soon as Becca opened her big mouth, everything fell into place.
“Morning,” I said as Brian came in the room. I couldn’t read his expression, but I knew something was up because he didn’t seem too happy about last night.
“Quite the party, I heard,” Brian replied as he poured himself a cup of coffee.
“It was perfect. I wish someone would have caught it on video because it was freakin’ hilarious!” I said, smiling at the memory of those two douche bags ripping into each other. If only Luke hadn’t stepped in and ended the brawl.
“Well Marcus is furious!” Brian snapped.
“I bet he is.”
“He’s called a meeting. We need to get going pretty soon. Is Scarlett up yet?” he asked.
I got up to throw my trash away and place my plate in the sink. “Don’t know. Haven’t seen her. I do know that she helped patch Luke up last night after he got scratched,” I told him, hoping the news might ease the tension in the air.
“She needs to get up. You and Scarlett need to be prepared to take some of the heat from last night. Marcus is mostly upset about the fight, but he was also pissed about the alcohol at the party. Of course, I couldn’t tell him that I had purchased it, so naturally he assumed that you did,” he explained.
As I washed my hands, I shrugged my shoulders. “Is Marcus blind? Hell, there’s more underage drinking going on here than back home. What the hell does he think they’re all doing down by the lake all the time? Anyway, I don’t care. I’ll take the heat. It’s a small price to pay. The faster this pack crumbles, the faster we can go home. I’m already tired of being here.”
Brian didn’t respond. He glanced down at his watch, took another sip of his coffee, and then looked at his watch again. Message received. I headed upstairs to go wake up Scarlett.
*****
Ten minutes later, Brian and I were getting in the car. Scarlett needed more time, so she said that she would meet us there, but Brian wanted to be early. As soon as we were out of the driveway, I gave Brian a play-by-play of the night before, mostly because he needed to know what Luke was capable of.
“Luke is no joke. I knew he was strong, but seriously, I’ve never seen anything like it. He ended the fight in seconds. He grabbed Cade by the back of the neck and tossed him aside like he was nothing. Shit, all he had to do was look at Aiden, and he backed off immediately.”
“What happened then?” he asked.
“Nothing. All three turned back and just stood there. Cade looked at Luke and then left the party without another word. Aiden took a few steps toward him, but Luke put his hand up to stop him. Aiden got the hint and walked away too. That was it. Party over. I tell you, people either are afraid of Luke or they really respect him and his position.”
“That is exactly why we should get rid of his father. We go for straight for the jugular and Luke will be such a mess that we won’t have to worry about him…or his father.”
“How is that going, by the way? Did you speak to my dad about it yet?” I asked. Brian had vaguely mentioned something about taking out their enforcer a couple of days ago. Get rid of the muscle, less to worry about. But that was the last I’d heard of it until now.
“I did, and he agrees with me. We came up with a plan, and it’s in place as we speak.” “Okay…is that all I get to know?”
“Afraid so. For now the fewer who know, the better. And please remember that Scarlett should know nothing about this,” he warned as he kept his eyes trained on the road. “She’s far too sensitive to be okay with this part of the mission. I’m beginning to regret ever letting her get involved in this.”
I couldn’t have agreed more. It was obvious that Scarlett wasn’t acting when she was with Luke. She really did like him. Maybe she didn’t at first, but there was no denying it now. I didn’t plan on letting her father know that though. He would shut it down immediately, and Scarlett’s feelings for Luke were a good thing, in my opinion; it made it all more believable, more real. She would of course be devastated when Luke finally found out the truth about her, but that would be her problem. She knew what she was signing up for.
“Back to Luke—should we be concerned about him?” I asked.
“No, we need him to back Aiden. Let’s just stay with our plan regarding Luke. It’s the best way to cause more distress within the pack. Actually, this might work to our advantage. Let’s convince Luke to train Aiden. Aiden needs to learn a little about fighting, so the fight between him and Cade seems fair; plus Luke and Aiden spending time together would help them to build a friendship too, which will piss Cade off.”
“I’ll mention it to Aiden,” I replied.
As soon as we entered the lodge, Marcus was focused on me. It was a good thing Scarlett wasn’t here yet. I think she might have cracked under his heated glare. Luckily I’d lived with an alpha my entire life, so this was nothing new to me. I knew how to best handle this. Plead guilty and apologize.
I walked up to Marcus. “Sir, please accept my apologies. It was completely inappropriate for me have alcohol on the estate. This was entirely my fault. I guess I just wanted everyone to have fun,” I admitted with as much sincerity as I could muster.
Marcus seemed stunned by my voluntary and immediate apology, and apparently it worked because he put his hand on my shoulder and firmly stated, “Never again, understand?”
After I nodded and vowed to make better decisions from here on out, he turned back to what was really bothering him: his two sons. Cade and Aiden were sitting in the front on opposite sides of the stage with their families. None of them looked happy about being here, especially Cade.
Tension filled the air, and I could only assume that Brian and I had missed something. Maybe Marcus had already said his piece because both boys looked ready to blow…again. Marcus took his seat at the front of the lodge, his arms crossed over his chest while he waited for the rest of the pack to take their sea
ts. It was eerily quiet as Marcus stood and walked to the podium. “I would like to thank you all for coming on such short notice.”
Just then, Scarlett landed in the seat next to me. Just to piss her off, I threw my arm over her shoulder and leaned in to whisper, “Took you long enough, but you look so hot, I guess it was worth the wait.”
As expected, she swiped my hand away and told me to screw off. I loved that little temper of hers. It would probably get her in trouble one day, but it wasn’t like it was any concern of mine. From the corner of my eye, I noticed her scanning the room for Luke and I wondered what exactly went on between them last night. I’d have to bug her about it later.
“I allowed a New Year’s Eve party to take place last night here on the estate. It has come to my attention that there was underage drinking going on, which led to a fight between my sons,” Marcus announced.
There were a few whispers from the pack, but they were quickly quieted when Marcus cleared his throat. “I can’t begin to express how disappointed I am in their behavior and total lack of respect for this pack and our laws.”
For several minutes, he raged on and on about disrespectful teenagers and how they take for granted all that is bestowed upon them. Blah, blah, blah. But then suddenly Marcus’s face turned beet red and his voice grew louder as he worked himself into a frenzy. One of the elders stood and started to walk toward the podium but stopped in his tracks when Marcus held up his hand to stop him and began to outright shout.
“I blame all of you!” Marcus yelled as he pointed at the elder walking up the aisle and then at the rest of them seated at the front. “All of you!”
The whole pack was clearly stunned by Marcus’s outburst, but not a word was spoken. Silence filled the room as the look on Marcus’s red face grew even more intense; the veins in his neck were bulging, and he was squeezing the podium so hard his knuckles were white.
