"Ah Ben you are still so young, your father would have known not to ask what cannot be told. The paths you take and the lives you produce will bring something amazing."
Ben looked at Zechariah; his father had always told him Zechariah had foresight. Until now he had never had any sort of premonition from him, only the odd snippet here and there about Pack business. His father was clearly a better man than him because he wanted to ask more questions; thankfully he knew when to stop. Zachariah may be Danny's grandfather but he had also been one to Ben, even as a child he had been taught the old ways by Zechariah. The Alpha had to know the old ways and the new ways, they couldn't lose the history. Danny was set to become an integral part to the pack which scared Ben, he always got caught up in trouble; he was both a potential elder and warrior, dual roles of this sort had never occurred before so seeing how these would develop would be interesting.
As the day wore on Lucky got acquainted with the rest of the pack and Darius who decided to show his face. Some of the pups had set some music up, there was a BBQ on the go, and the girls were with the pups. Beth was trying not to stare at Nicky and the older pups, but she wasn't having any luck keeping it up for long. Claire was standing to one side and initially he thought she was alone but she was talking to Theo and he seemed to be talking back. What the hell was with Theo being so sociable, was he turning into some sort socialite? Ben wasn't complaining though it was odd to see this side of Theo, odd but nice.
May was with Danny, watching him with some of the other pack racing quad bikes, shit if he was right the one ahead was Ellie. He telepathically told Danny to make sure she was safe; Danny shrugged clearly not taking him seriously. Lucky was with his mom and some of the others. He had been watching her on and off as the afternoon progressed, amazed at how easily she got on with everyone.
There was a hierarchy in the pack, he was Alpha and Nicky in line to take over if something happened to him. If Ben had a son he would be in line rather than Nicky, but Nicky would take care of the pack until his son was ready. Nicky had no desire to be Alpha and was desperate for him to produce an heir. Connor was his second and took care of security in the businesses, unlike most pack he had two seconds with Theo being the other, he headed his warriors. Years ago he had tried to put Theo in the business side of things, but his attitude and lack of social skills pissed off clients. If they wanted him to do something and he didn't agree, he flat out refused and walked away. Some members of the pack were the brawn, and Theo kept them in shape, he was a fair leader and everyone respected his authority, people who didn’t, soon learned to.
Some of the warriors were already mated like Peter and Yvonne, who with his mother and some of the others took care of them, making sure the general homes were run, that the females were looked after and the pups were not running riot. He didn't think Lucky would fight them for that territory, and Yvonne seemed more than happy talking with her which relieved Ben. Darius was their odd ball, no other pack housed a vampire but hey Silver Pack was unique. Darius was as much a pack member as any other, and when there had been trouble; he had always stood side by side with the pack.
He couldn't see Lucky anymore and turned back to the quads to check on Ellie who was holding her own. She was another warrior with a heart of steel.
As Lucky slipped her arms around Ben she nipped at his ear. "Hey baby, you were looking all misty eyed."
"I was just thinking about how good this all feels. I know it's a lot for you to take in." Both took a moment to enjoy the scenery, both of their families enjoying the others company. This time it was she stopped him with a kiss.
"I do understand how you feel, I feel so relaxed and at home here. It's bizarre but it helps that I can also feel how everyone else is feeling. Some are a little unsure of me; they were also worried about me not liking them. The thing is that I mainly feel really good thoughts, these people genuinely love being part of this pack and the life that you have here."
As Ben went to kiss her, he straightened. "What is it Ben?" Lucky asked the question as Connor and Theo headed over, it was Connor who spoke. "I will go and send her on her way."
"Who?" Lucky was clearly waiting for him to elaborate surprised when he looked sheepish. "Jeez Ben how bad could it be?" Lucky questioned.
Connor decided to elaborate for him. Between this and Connors enjoyment over encouraging the girls to antagonise Ben, which had resulted in Ben questioning his loyalty, Connor seemed to be enjoying this mating thing way too much.
"Oh it is bad her name is Michaela, they spent one night together like two weeks before you two met and since then she's turned all bunny boiler. Now she's at the gates with some other wolf and Duncan can see at least four others in the woods. She is demanding to meet you Lucky, don’t worry with the new wards she can't get past the gates unless we walk her in."
Ben seemed extremely uncomfortable. "Seriously Connor please remind me of the reason that you are one of my closest friends. Lucky you just wait here and… I don't know keep mingling." His hands gestured to the people, many of whom were watching them with interest.
She was actually enjoying this, Ben was practically squirming. "No, no Ben if I am being summoned lets go, how bad could it be?"
Chapter 22
On arrival at the gate Lucky saw that she was indeed being summoned, immediately she could hear the woman screeching. She was taken aback at the sight of the woman stood screaming, her face was tomato red and puffy as she focussed her attention on the car they were in Ben's men stood to attention awaiting his order, her men stood ready for battle. Ben was out of the car and heading to the gates when Michaela saw her coming up behind him.
"You threw me over for this piece of trash!" Wow she was bitter and as for trash, Lucky felt quite comfortable in her linen trousers and v neck, though if you were to go by the snooty expression on her face, you would think she was wearing the local bag lady's clothes.
Her voice was high in an almost inaudible screech. "Well this is not acceptable; I, a wolf of the Sealing Pack challenge you for the title of mate to the pack Alpha." Oh so she was talking to Lucky now, although Ben was quick to dismiss her ranting.
"Don't be stupid, Michaela go away."
"Oh no you don't. By pack law she has to take the challenge."
"Not until we are mated, so right now she doesn't." Ben was looking fearfully apprehensive but his tone was a deep and threatening growl; Lucky knew that she would have to do something and soon.
"What's the matter Ben is your little tramp scared?" Lucky had always prided herself on her maturity; she had four daughters and tried to set a good example, until now when she decided to act as if she were a jealous school girl. This woman was the tramp, she rocks up here acting all clever and what the hell was this pack law? Looking to Theo who she knew would give her an honest answer; she didn’t even need to ask the question.
"A female has the right to challenge the mate of the Alpha if she disputes the title, by law the female has to defend the Alpha and the pack. Ben is right though, you don't have to worry about that until you are mated." Theo was stood next to her while Ben was growling and throwing some of his own looks about, clearly showing signs of losing his temper.
"She's not planning on leaving is she?" Watching the scene at the gate she was amazed at how cold and angry Michaela seemed, she was also sly and her feelings indicated arrogance at a secret she had, one that no-one knew about. Lucky turned to face Theo whispering quietly.
"I think she's the one leading the rogues. If I get her and her sidekick in here, can you take out the rouges in the bushes?" Theo was evidently impressed with the way she thought, it was Connor who answered.
"We are already on it Lucky, Theo has people leaving via the other exit and heading in from the outside. Now you just have to deal with Ben, he won't let you fight her."
Why the hell was she thinking about antagonising super bitch? She didn't know the answer to her own question but fuck it; he wasn’t the only one who could mark territory
. Sauntering over to Ben she put her arms around him and nuzzled his neck in a clear show of ownership. Super bitch nearly had kittens which for a wolf would have been entertaining to see; Lucky whispered into his ear.
"Do you trust me?" His instant nod made Lucky smile. "With my life yes but not yours, so don’t do this."
She loved the sentiment but ignored his words. "Hey super bitch I accept your challenge but can you give me half an hour. I don't want to dirty these trousers with your blood. Oh and when I finish beating your ass you need to know this, if you ever turn up here again I will kill you and anyone you bring with you." She looked to the others standing at the gate with her.
It was quite a statement. Lucky was working on intimidation based on feigned non-interest, by simply stating this threat almost as if it were a greeting between friends. It was effective and Ben was slightly impressed with how Lucky was handling the situation. Yet at the same time he was terrified of her getting hurt.
Lucky turned walking away from the woman and jumped into the car with everyone else following, while Ben had a word with the guards on the gate. He took the time to make sure Michaela and her friends heard his growls and high pitched howl, which left Michaela's people looking more than a little scared. As he got into the car besides her, she could easily see the worry that had suddenly been etched onto his magnificent chiselled face. Even with a frown he was gorgeous.
He sat next to her in the car taking a deep sigh as he closed his eyes. "I trust you Lucky I do, but fighting a wolf is hard and Michaela is a mean bitch. If I have to go against pack law I will. If I have to kill her, I will. I will do anything to keep you and the girls safe. So please don't do this, there are alternatives."
She was confused; previously he had simply tried to stop her, now he was asking her not to do something. "You can't stop me from fighting her can you?"
"No it is your right to defend the pack." His shoulders were slumped; his head back against the soft leather of the car, with his eyes still closed. She kissed him gently on the mouth.
"Don’t worry; I will let you show me how sorry you are for your lack of faith in me when we are alone."
Back at the house time was running out, Ben was still pacing unhappily trying to offer advice as well as trying to talk her out of this. Lucky was getting changed into her boots and combats then tying her hair up, all the while she was quite calm and relaxed, and he didn’t understand it.
"Where do we do this?" Looking at his stricken face really tore her up. She didn’t want him to worry but maybe he needed a lesson of his own, she wasn’t some meek and mild mate that could be dominated.
"If I am going to be your mate then I need the pack to believe that I can and will fight for them. It really is that simple." Ben could see the logic in this as well as her determination. Neither made him like this plan anymore.
Within half an hour she was back outside. Lucky was pleased to find that the girls and the pups had been sent off to another part of the land, which was good. Thank god for Sylvia, Lucky would not want the girls here. Phil had gone off to meet Amy so she didn't have to worry about him; he got squeamish at the sight of blood. Phil fainting was the last thing she needed to deal with.
Everyone else including super bitch and her side kick had been marched in. All were now waiting in a clearing surrounded by thick, dense wood. Lucky wasn't nervous about taking her down she had faced an ass kicking before, but she was anxious about letting the pack down. Looking at the sheer numbers here she was somewhat anxious, they were stood in a clearing in the woods, surrounded by the trees it seemed closed in yet not. It was a strange place to fight, surrounded by the lush greens and browns of the trees and beautiful flowers springing from the ground, she could hear the birds and see some wild wolves at the edge of the trees, it was a tranquil place that would be marred by violence which seemed wrong.
Zachariah was waiting in the middle. "As Elder of the Silver Pack, Lucky mate to the Alpha has accepted the challenge from Michaela of Sealing Pack. As per pack laws each will have a second, any misconduct will result in the opponents second stepping in. The winner will earn the right to take the heart of the looser. If the mate wins she can inflict punishment on the challenger as she sees fit. Michaela who do you name as your second?" Ben had explained already that centuries ago the option of a second had been introduced to ensure weaker packs had the chance to triumph.
A man stepped forward, damn he was tall, but Lucky could feel that he lacked confidence and he certainly didn't want to do this. He was tall and wide, his black hair had been left to grow past the nape of this neck.
"I am Damien with no pack affiliation."
"Lucky who will be your second?"
Zachariah's words had her leaning towards him discreetly as she whispered. "Remind me why do I need a second?"
"If there is misconduct your second can also step in and fight for the victory but it can't be Ben."
"I will be her second, hey kiddo." Darius had stepped forward and kissed Lucky on the top of the head. Working together in this made sense to Lucky, she and Darius understood each other.
Unfortunately Michaela did not agree. "I don't think so, he's a vampire." She whined like a child.
Zachariah stepped forward. "Sorry Darius she is right but Michaela remember you cannot shift to wolf form if the opponent can't and clearly Lucky can't."
The next voice both scared Lucky and made her proud. "I will be her second whatever that is." As Lucky turned to Ellie, she smiled at her beautiful and brave baby. Going to Ellie, Lucky enfolded her daughter in a massive hug.
"Ah sweetie thank you but you're not old enough. I know this is hard but I don't really want your sisters to see this, can you keep them away? They are too young."
Lucky knew that asking Ellie to protect her sisters would have the desired effect; otherwise she had no doubt that Ellie would have hidden somewhere close by.
Sylvia shepherded her off after Lucky gave her another hug. Then several people stepped forward some she didn't know, some she did including Nicky, Conner, Theo and Leyland. Hell even a couple of the females stepped forward. She looked at these people who had just become a part of her life and for the first time she actually thought this pack business might be a good thing.
"Thank you everyone, Theo I would be honoured to have you by my side." There were murmurs of 'good choice' amid Ben's cursing before the games began.
As Lucky watched Michaela they began circling. Lucky had learnt the art of patience from her brother Lewis. She was watching, waiting to see which side Michaela favoured, assessing from her body movements, waiting to see what she was planning. Michaela plainly favoured the right; she knew she was also being watched by Michaela. Lucky's patience lasted longer, as Michaela stepped in to punch her Lucky moved to the side so that she completely missed. This allowed Lucky to take advantage of Michaela's unsettled balance by dropping into a crouch, using her leg she swept Michaela to the floor. Michaela jumped up and tried to return the favour but Lucky was ready for it and stepped back showing only a slight wobble. Lucky delivered a quick shot to her ribs which was followed by a satisfying groan from the she bitch.
As Michaela kept aiming kicks and punches, most missed and those that did impact were not overly impressive, quickly she saw Michaela tiring. As she kicked out, Michaela went down but as she came up she had a piece of wood, which she swung out to connect with Lucky's shoulder.
Damn that hurt, she couldn't let that happen again. She could feel Theo stepping forward, without taking her eyes off of her opponent she shouted.
"Not yet Theo, wait." Lucky stepped up the pace and sent several kicks toward Michaela with three out of four hitting their target. Michaela returned with a punch to the side of Lucky's head and swept her to the floor but Lucky jumped up quickly. As Michaela slowed down, Lucky went on the offensive knocking her to the floor twice more, before Michaela grabbed Lucky by the hair and pulled her forward. She could see Ben out of the corner of her eye, he was being held by Nicky
, Darius and his father.
Although Lucky had her head bent she decided to make the potential ass kicking she was possibly about to get, worth it. "So you're the one leading the rogues." It was a statement that she was not expecting an answer to.
Fortunately Michaela wanted to boast. "Of course I am! Who else could lead those idiots; I have big plans for this city the wolves will rule. Which is why I wanted Ben, but no you had to get in the way."
Looking again at Ben gave her the adrenaline rush she needed; she hit out impacting with Michaela's kidneys immediately taking the opportunity to jump up, following through with an upper cut. Taking a deep breath she watched as Michaela swayed and crumpled to the ground, out for the count. Without a seconds delay her second jumped in, by the rules the second should not have stepped in but hey these were rogue wolves that clearly had no sense of honour. Ben was now growling and making all sorts of threats encouraging the guy to back off.
Where should she start slow and steady or fuck it, hard and fast? Going with hard and fast Lucky jumped up delivered a round house that connected with his upper torso. Moving in with several head shots she finished him off with a kick to his nether regions, he hadn’t bothered with being fair, so why should she? Watching him drop to his knees she went straight in with a kick to his head; he wasn't trying to fight back.
"Do you submit?" When he nodded, Lucky walked off and straight into Ben's arms. Once he had finished asking her if she had been hurt, all the while running his hands over her body, he leaned close to her ear.
"Would it be bad for me to be really turned on right now? Lucky you were amazing; I was so damn scared and then turned on. I didn't know which was worse; the thought of you getting hurt or the sight of you kicking ass, you are never going to stay at home are you? Don't answer; let me delude myself for a little longer. I've never seen anything like it. God I love you so much." Before she could respond to his words, he seemed to realise that Lucky was bleeding from her lip and had a couple of hefty bruises coming out on her arms and face.
Silvers Alpha (The Silver Series) Page 18
