Bonded

by Reese Knightley

  “And then his death was suddenly staged and he’s back working for the hunters,” Jace murmured thoughtfully, thinking. “I wonder if that was Leopold’s doing.”

  “I’ll kill him,” Roman growled.

  “Roman,” Jace said hesitantly.

  Roman’s eyes glittered. “What?”

  “Marcus… isn’t a nice man. His morals and integrity are all fucked up,” he said bluntly.

  Roman rubbed a shaking hand over his mouth.

  “I’m sorry,” Jace whispered.

  Roman’s head lifted and he gazed across the fire to one of his enforcers. The wolf was on his feet and by Roman’s side in a second.

  “Alpha?”

  “I’m going to retire for the evening. Good night,” Roman told them before he stood. Striding across the clearing, he disappeared into one of the tents. The enforcer stood guard, solid and still, by the tent’s entrance.

  “Did I do the right thing?” He turned his burning eyes on Cage.

  “Baby, the truth is always the right thing,” Cage murmured. “Just think of how bad it would have been if he’d found out about Marcus and how we knew all about it.”

  Jace gave a heavy sigh. He didn’t need to imagine the pain Roman was going through. The thought of being parted from Cage sent a cold chill down Jace’s spine and he knew without a doubt that he would surely die if their blood bond was ever severed.

  “I love you,” he whispered fiercely.

  With a tug, Cage drew him up from his chair and into his lap. Jace gladly went, burying his face into Cage’s neck as strong arms closed tightly around him. Cage made him feel safe in a way he’d never felt before.

  I am his haven just as he is mine.

  Cage had never been so happy in his life. Gazing at his mate, he watched as Jace interacted with his pack on a deeper level.

  They gravitated toward his mate, hanging on his every word and constantly touching him for reassurance. He couldn’t have picked a better man.

  The only one missing was Trent. Glancing around, he found the younger wolf cozied up to a female from Roman’s pack.

  The pair had been together since day one. They’d need his and Roman’s permission to blood bond, but he suspected they’d already mated.

  It was just as well; his all-male pack was unusual. Having a female would give them the chance to become a well-balanced pack. Females were essential for the growth of the pack and would keep them strong. He knew for a fact that not only Trent, but also Wyatt and Brock desired females. While he, Griffin, and Alex desired males. Lucas, he wasn’t sure about, because Lucas wasn’t sure either. That would be revealed the older the young wolf became.

  One thing Cage noticed was how Roman had more females than males in his pack. Thinking of Roman, he started searching for the alpha to get ahead of Trent and Sadie before they became a problem.

  He caught Roman’s gaze and jerked his head.

  “I see you found them,” Roman said, joining him.

  “Yes.”

  “Are you gaining Sadie or am I getting Trent?” Roman’s voice was amused.

  Cage searched the man’s eyes for lingering sorrow and found a bit. It was clear the alpha still grieved for Marcus. He gripped Roman’s shoulder comfortingly.

  “How are you?” he asked instead.

  “I’m good, my friend. I’ve done some soul searching during the night. I have a few decisions to make, but Marcus will pay for his involvement,” Roman finished.

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’m sure. He showed that I’m dead to him when he staged his own death. Therefore, he is dead to me,” Roman replied.

  Cage nodded, the pain clearly heard in Roman’s voice, but he kept quiet. He had no doubts Roman would work it out.

  “To answer your question,” he said instead, “we’ll need to ask Trent and Sadie.”

  Cage would only accept a transfer if Sadie was willing. While some alphas had no qualms about ordering the females, Cage was different. He believed it was a female’s right to choose to mate, have children, and even switch packs. He also respected his own right to choose a male mate, just as he respected Sadie’s right to decide her own destiny.

  Roman chuckled. “I’m glad you said that. Sadie came to me last night asking for a transfer. It seems your wolf doesn’t want to leave his pack.”

  Cage smiled. “You do seem to have an abundance of females,” he pointed out.

  “That I do, my friend, that I do.” Roman clamped a hand on his shoulder. “Let me introduce you to a few that have expressed concerns about the lack of men in my pack and the overabundance of men in yours.”

  “Overabundance?” Cage laughed.

  “Well, to them, an all-male pack? Yes.”

  “Please, by all means, introduce me.” Cage chuckled and followed Roman over to a group of women.

  “Tessa,” Roman said, drawing near.

  “Alpha?” The woman turned, she was gorgeous, all seek muscle and dark, waist-length hair. Her eyes were bright green and a smattering of freckles graced her nose.

  “This is Cage Ashwood, alpha of the Swiftcrest pack. He’s located out of the Pacific Northwest Territory and might be looking to expand his all-male wolf pack,” Roman told her with a sly glance his way.

  Cage returned the smirk and held out his hand.

  She was lovely and all smiles. “I’ve met your mate, Alpha. Jace is so kind.” She reached for his hand and gave a gentle squeeze.

  “He is.”

  “I must admit, I’ve been speaking with Wyatt.” Tessa blushed.

  Cage chuckled and Roman clapped him on the back.

  “So, that’s why you wanted me to meet her.”

  “I figured if we parted before they got to know each other, you might wake up one day missing a wolf,” Roman teased him.

  “Tessa, would you like to transfer to my pack and see where your talking to Wyatt takes you? No pressure.”

  “And if it doesn’t work out?” Tessa eyed him.

  “Calling it quits already?” he countered.

  She laughed; it was a light, tinkling sound. “No, just testing the waters.”

  “If you transfer, you’ll be under my protection forever. It won’t matter if you mate or not.”

  She gave a sigh of relief. “Roman was right. You are like him. Thank you so much for being a supporter. We don’t have many.”

  “I know. I aim to change that,” Cage told her.

  “I have two more friends who might want to come with me,” Tessa said hesitantly. “If you’d like to meet them and see?”

  “I would love that, let me get Jace.” He smiled and called to his mate through his heart.

  His mate’s head lifted from across the camp and then Jace was moving toward him, long strides covering the distance, bringing his beautiful hunter to his side.

  “Jace, I’d like you to meet Tessa.”

  “Yes, we’ve met. Hello again.” Jace smiled and reached for both of her hands, giving them a brief squeeze. His mate was gracious, and even others outside of his pack gravitated to the man.

  “Hey, Jace.” She smiled and gripped Jace’s hands. “I was just telling your alpha that I have a few more friends I’d like you both to meet. Now, if they don’t embarrass me.” Tessa planted her hands on her hips, a teasing smile on her lips.

  Jace laughed, but darted him a curious look.

  “I’m thinking we should expand our pack a bit.”

  Jace’s eyes lit up and a smile quickly followed. “I love the idea.”

  “Yay!” Tessa grinned and led them over to meet with several more females, and the two she had suggested were eager to join his pack.

  “I’d love to,” Lilly said. She was all eyes and long, dark hair, willowy and shy.

  Melissa was more open with a wide smile, green eyes, and curly red hair. “Hell yes!”

  Cage tipped his head, both of the females’ hearts were racing and their eyes wide, so he took a few moments to ease their anxiety with questions abou
t their day.

  He squeezed their hands, returning their light touches when they moved closer to him. They hung on his every word, but he never lost focus on Jace. His mate was loving and kind to the new wolves and they were pulled to Jace just as much as they were to him.

  “Do you own property?” Jace asked Tessa.

  “No. Mel, Lilly, and I rent a few rooms in an enforcer’s house,” Tessa told them.

  “No ties,” Melissa piped up with a wide smile.

  “I could pack everything I own in an hour,” Lilly said, and then blushed as if startled by her own boldness.

  Melissa giggled, causing Lilly to grin.

  Jace laughed gently and engaged the pair in lively conversation.

  Cage looked on at how much of a people person Jace was. How had he gotten so lucky? It had taken him a lifetime to find this man and he had to swallow past a sudden lump in his throat in order to speak.

  “Give us a few minutes. I’ll come find you,” he told the three women.

  He linked fingers with Jace and drew him across the camp to where his pack was gathered.

  “They are lovely,” Jace said once they were halfway across the clearing.

  “I agree. Let’s see what the pack thinks.”

  At their approach, his group stood when he grew closer and he nodded toward the woods. Trent untangled from Sadie.

  “Come,” he ordered, and they followed him and Jace into the trees.

  Finding a spot of sunshine in the tall evergreens, he stopped and lifted his face to feel the heat. Jace tucked in close to his side and lifted his face, closing his eyes.

  They all stood quietly around him and Cage drew on their strength as a pack.

  “Trent.”

  “Alpha?”

  “Sadie has requested a transfer to our pack. Is that your desire?”

  “Yes, Alpha.” Trent’s voice shook with hope.

  “I will grant that. Have you mated?”

  “Yes,” Trent said, his voice stronger. “I want your permission to blood bond with her.”

  “After her transfer, you may.” Cage smiled and pulled the wolf into his arms.

  “Wyatt,” Cage said after he released Trent.

  “Yes?” Wyatt frowned.

  “You’ve been talking to Tessa?”

  “Yes, but we haven’t mated. She’s nice.” Wyatt shrugged.

  “She is. She wants to transfer to our pack. There is no pressure to mate. I believe it is in our best interest to have females in our pack. That it makes us stronger.”

  “I agree,” Griffin said.

  “There are four females that have asked to join. Tessa, Sadie, Melissa, and Lilly. Regardless if they mate with any of you, I want to offer them a place in our pack for life.” He held each and every one of his pack members’ gazes before landing on Jace.

  Jace smiled. “And just like that, there’s twelve.”

  Cage chuckled. “I’ll need to do the transfer and registering in Vegas, but when I walk back over there, they will be here with us. If there are any opposed to any of this, speak now or forever hold your peace.”

  “Sounds like a marriage,” Alex said waspishly.

  Cage leveled the young male with a firm look. “In a way, it is. This can’t be taken lightly. Do you object?”

  A tick settled in Alex’s jaw before he darted a glance at Griffin, who was studying Alex in shock.

  “Do you want a female for a mate?” Alex asked Griffin, tipping his chin up.

  “No,” Griffin growled, low and lethal.

  Alex searched Griffin’s face before turning back to Cage. “Then I don’t object. I’d like to get to know some girls.”

  Alex smiled when Griffin growled deep in his throat.

  Cage almost laughed, but he held it in. Those two were destined for each other. He wasn’t sure what the holdup was, perhaps Griffin was waiting until Alex matured a bit more.

  Rubbing at the hair on his chin to hide his smile, he turned to the rest of the pack. “It’s settled then.”

  Taking Jace’s fingers in his, he walked back to where Roman and the females were waiting.

  They’d reached the territory of the elected leader of the United States Western region, and Jonas Welsh offered them two vacant houses that sat near the main ranch house.

  “Mind if I sit?” Jace asked.

  “Of course not,” Tessa told him, lowering the book she held in her hands.

  Jace smiled and moved to sit next to the woman at one of several picnic tables that sat in front of the two small houses.

  “How are you?”

  “I was just about to ask you that.” Jace huffed a laugh.

  Tessa smiled. “I’m good. Actually, great once I got my second wind,” she amended.

  They’d run side by side on the way down through Montana and into Idaho. When not in wolf form, she’d teased him about his cooking skills and he’d taken it good naturedly.

  Tessa was easygoing, and all the girls in their small pack looked to her for anything female related.

  “How long had you been with Roman’s pack?”

  “For two years. I was living with my pack in Canada near Québec when we were attacked. The alpha was killed, so the pack scattered. Lilly, Melissa, and I ran and ended up in Roman’s territory. He took us in.”

  “He seems like a really nice guy.”

  “One of the best. It’s sad about his mate,” Tessa said.

  “Well, there’s more to that story than meets the eye, but hopefully, he’ll find another mate.”

  Tessa studied him for a moment and then nodded. “Need to know?”

  “Yeah.” He smiled. “It’s not my story to tell.”

  “I understand. Wyatt and I talked. We decided we’ll stay friends only,” Tessa confessed as if that were a bad thing.

  “You know that’s okay, right?” he assured her.

  “I do. I just can’t help feeling like my chance to have a baby is passing me by.”

  “How old are you?”

  “Half a century.”

  “Bah. You have at least another half before your clock runs out,” he teased.

  She shoulder-bumped him with a laugh.

  “I know,” she said. “I’m not giving that dream up.”

  “Good.” Jace smiled and patted her shoulder. “Good to hear.”

  Her smile lit up like sunshine and Jace grinned.

  “That’s my seat!”

  Jace glanced over to find Alex standing over Melissa, who was currently sitting next to Griffin at the fire.

  “I don’t see your name on it,” Melissa said dismissively.

  “Alex,” Griffin frowned. “Come sit here.” The enforcer pointed to his other side.

  “Melissa,” Tessa said.

  “What?” One of Melissa’s eyebrows arched.

  “Knock it off.”

  “I’m not doing anything,” Melissa argued and pulled out her cell phone.

  Instead of sitting in the chair Griffin had pointed to, Alex stormed out of the clearing.

  Tessa sighed. “Sorry.”

  “Why?”

  “It was my suggestion to bring her.”

  “It’s okay, it’s just growing pains,” Jace told her gently.

  She laughed lightly. “I really like you.”

  “Same here.” He returned her smile, but made a mental note to keep an eye on Alex and Melissa.

  “Hello to the house!” Someone shouted.

  Cage came out the door and stood on the steps and Roman came around the far side of the house with his enforcer and several pack members. The rest of the Swiftcrest pack came out the front door and stood next to Cage.

  Jace shoved to his feet along with Tessa.

  “You have a visitor!” Jonas yelled.

  Jace sucked in a breath at the tall, familiar figure striding toward them. He hadn’t been able to reach the man, but clearly the warlock had gotten his message.

  “Alister!”

  Jace covered the distance between him
and his best friend.

  “Jace, thank the powers.” The warlock’s arms gripped him tightly for a long moment before he was released.

  Jace felt Cage behind him and Alister reached out to grip Cage’s hand tightly. “Cage, long time, my friend.”

  “Nice to see you unharmed, Alister.” Cage clamped the man on the shoulder.

  The warlock nodded after a moment’s hesitation and Jace frowned. “Come sit down.”

  “Get food prepared,” Cage ordered the pack.

  Roman and Jonas followed them to the table.

  The rest of the wolves rushed about to fix hot coffee and food as Jace drew Alister over to the picnic table.

  Alister removed his long wool coat and one of the wolves took it for him. Rolling up the sleeves of his white dress shirt, he flicked at a piece of lint on his perfectly pressed slacks. Brushing back the fall of dark hair, Alister settled his piercing gaze on Jonas for a split second before moving away.

  “What did you find out?” Jace asked his friend and took a seat at the picnic table.

  “The hunter’s council has been disbanded completely,” Alister said, sitting across from him.

  “Oh, my god. It’s Leopold.”

  “That’s correct, and the rumor coming out of there is that the hunters are talking about possible war with the wolf shifters,” Alister answered him.

  “Shit,” Cage muttered.

  “I haven’t contacted our council. I held off calling them earlier. I wanted to wait until we were on our way before telling them we were coming and why,” Jonas said, coming closer and taking the seat next to Jace, across from Alister.

  The West Coast Region leader spoke with a deep, quiet voice, yet every person at the table had the leader’s full attention.

  Jonas was as muscled as Cage, but a bit taller, and authority rolled off the alpha in spades. He was handsome with startling blue eyes. Dark hair fell thickly about his head, the color matching the five o’clock shadow running along his upper lip, strong jaw, and chin.

  “That might be best,” Alister said a bit stiffly.

  “So nice you agree with me.” Jonas bit back a smile and Jace watched, fascinated when a muscle ticked in Alister’s jaw.

  “Read into it what you will.” The warlock sniffed and locked emerald-colored eyes on the alpha.