Bonded to the Pack (Born to be Were)

by Flynn, Donna

  *****

  “It is wonderful the way he treats her. It is as if she were the only thing in the world that mattered to him,” Jaden said to her grandfather.

  Alaric smiled down on his granddaughter, sensing the loneliness inside of her. She had given up so much for the her work with the Elders and he wondered if the time had come to set her free to find her own way and maybe claim her own Bond Mate. “They are indeed lucky,” he told her.

  “I can’t understand how the council thinks separating two of our kind so obviously meant for one another would be beneficial,” she told him. “It seems ridiculous.”

  “Sometimes our laws do not take everything into consideration. That is why the group of Elders was formed in the first place. We were chosen from various packs to make decisions when the lines of our laws are blurred.”

  “Has this never happened before?” Jaden asked. “You know, a Born Were finding her Bond Mate?”

  “The last Born Were was killed because her mate was not strong enough to protect her. That is why the Elders are concerned. We cannot permit the same thing to happen again, she is too precious to our kind. Born Weres always possess amazing powers and their offspring can be some of the most powerful werewolves in our society.”

  Jaden bit her lip. While she understood their fears, she hated that such a loving couple might be separated because of the circumstances of Mercy’s birth. Many times, she read the law about Born Weres since meeting them, looking for any way out of it, but so far she had found nothing to help them, but she wasn’t giving up.

  “I need to check on my son, although I doubt he will speak to me, but I know what he must be going through and maybe I can offer some assistance,” Alaric told her.

  “I’m going to hang out here for awhile. I’ll see you at the hotel later,” Jaden said distractedly.

  Alaric kissed her head and walked away leaving her alone, knowing when she was upset she preferred to be that way.

  *****

  Mason who had been watching her and her grandfather from a nearby tree swung down and walked toward Jaden, clapping his hands as he approached her. “You’re good. I almost believed you felt bad for your part in tearing apart Alec and Mercy.”

  Jaden scowled at him. “I do feel bad, and I am trying to fix it.”

  “Yeah, I don’t really believe that any more than I believe aliens exist and that bigfoot roams the forest.”

  He leaned against a nearby tree and crossed his ankles staring at her with distrust, and she blanched. “You don’t know me so don’t judge me.”

  “They have been through so much to be together and because of you they might never get bonded and live as they were meant to. I hope you are satisfied,” he sneered. Her face paled and for a brief moment, she looked extremely vulnerable, but she covered it quickly and hardened her expression, glaring at him with rage-filled eyes.

  “I have been working night and day to find a way past this law, I have read it a million times and asked everyone I know if they are aware of any way to stop this, but so far no one knows anything,” she screamed at him, poking him in his chest. “You don’t know me, so don’t presume to tell me what I have been doing. I didn’t know them or anyone else here until recently, but I can see they are meant to be together and I am trying to help now.”

  Mason looked down at her flushed cheeks and heaving chest with a thin smile. She seemed concerned for Alec and Mercy, but he wasn’t buying it. She had to have some hidden agenda. What it was he had yet to find out, but he would. For Mercy, he would find out all of the black-haired female’s secrets and then he would destroy her.

  Jaden stared at his bare, rock-hard chest and felt her cheeks warm. He was simply too much for her. Guys like him with all his muscles and long silky hair, with his beautiful almost black eyes, just didn’t exist outside of magazines, but there he was in the flesh, literally, and she could tell by his cold gaze he would like nothing better than to choke her. “I think I had better go now,” she said, sounding more nervous than she wanted to.

  Mason flicked his fingers towards the woods. “Go ahead, run away,” he leaned close, his warm breath feathering her cheek. “But know this. I will be watching you and if you hurt my friends again I will think nothing about ringing your pretty little neck with my own two hands.”

  “You can’t threaten me, I am a representative of the Elders,” she told him straightening her shoulders and meeting his icy gaze. “You could be killed for threatening me.”

  “It wasn’t a threat, I was dead serious,” he told her before turning and walking back into the trees.

  “Oh yeah…well, I’m not afraid of you,” she screamed hearing only the distant sound of his chuckle for an answer. “Jack ass,” she bellowed, but he either didn’t hear her or wasn’t responding to her taunt. Deciding she had enough for one day she took off through the woods, shifting to her wolf form and running off her anger before heading to her car and taking off for the hotel.

  Mason watched as she shifted, flowing seamlessly into her wolf before ripping through the forest to work off her frustrations and knew he had won that round.

  “Back off of her,” Wren said behind him.

  Mason turned and stared at her male lackey with a slow smile. “Or what? You’ll kill me?”

  Wren grinned, not intimidated in the least by the male Were before him. He might be bigger, but Wren had more experience fighting and more of a reason to win. Jaden was his and even though he wasn’t willing to claim her as his Bond Mate, he wasn’t going to let anyone threaten her.

  *****

  Alec and Mercy sat on the front porch after dinner, rocking in the swing while holding hands and enjoying a quiet moment alone. That was until his cell phone rang for the hundredth time of the night. He ignored the ringing, but Mercy reached over and took the phone from the holster on his hip and answered it knowing it would be his father who been relentlessly calling throughout the day.

  “Hello,” Mercy said, dreading the conversation to come. Alec was no closer to forgiving his father than he had been earlier in the day and she didn’t want to hurt Gregory by telling him that.

  “Is he there?” Gregory asked, sounding worn.

  “He’s fine, Gregory.” She looked to Alec who stared off into the distance trying to ignore her conversation with his father.

  “I know he’s not ready to talk, just wanted to be sure he got back home and was safe.”

  “He’s going to spend the night here. Lucan offered him the pull-out sofa in the library.” It was a bone of contention with her, since they had a perfectly good spare bedroom, but Lucan insisted they be on separate floors and Alec had quickly agreed. ending her argument. “Are you alright?” She knew he was alone because Marlo’s presence amongst them with the Elders and other Alphas could cause a war he didn’t want with them.

  “Will you tell him…” he took a ragged breath, “tell him I’m sorry, and that I will wait until he is ready to deal with this.”

  Mercy looked to Alec, reached over and took his hand in her own. “I will, Gregory. Goodnight.”

  “Goodnight,” he said softly.

  Mercy hung up and handed Alec the phone. “He said he’s sorry, and that he will wait until you’re ready to talk.” She laid her head on his shoulder and said nothing more. She had said her piece earlier in the day now the ball was in his court. She wouldn’t push him, just like he didn’t push her when she needed time to accept the lies she had been told.

  “He used to show me pictures of my mother with her parents and I never questioned why he didn’t show me pictures of his own family. I always assumed it was because by the time he had showed me pictures of my mother he was to emotionally drained to go on. I can remember that on nights I would ask to see her pictures he would put me to bed early and spend the rest of night locked in his room crying. My father, the strongest Alpha I know, would sob until there was nothing left in him and then for days after he would walk around like a zombie, so after awhile I stopped asking to
see the pictures. It hurt him too much, and I couldn’t stand to see him suffer.” He sighed, and pulled her closer to him. “I love him, Mercy, how could I not, he sacrificed so much for me, but I’m not ready to talk to him. I’m afraid I will say something I can’t take back and I don’t want that to hang between us for the rest of our existence.”

  “He gets that, Alec. Take your time, and think about all the reasons why he didn’t tell you about your grandfather. Maybe then you will feel differently.”

  The sound of someone clearing their throat gained their attention and they walked to the stairs where Alaric stood, looking oddly uncomfortable. “Alec, we need to talk,” he said.

  Alec’s body tensed and Mercy wrapped her arm around his waist. “He can give you the answers you want,” she told him.

  “Will you be alright while I’m gone?” he asked.

  “Yeah, I think I will go to bed, I’m kind of tired.” She didn’t tell him that she hadn’t slept a wink the two days he had been gone. Even though he had called several times, she had still worried insanely about him the entire time he was gone and now that he was back, she hoped she might be able get a little rest.

  Alec noted the dark circles under her eyes and knew she was truly exhausted thanks to his leaving so abruptly, and felt instantly guilty. “Get some rest, Angel. I will see you in the morning.” He brushed her lips with his own and walked her to the door. “Good night and sweet dreams.”

  “Only if they are about you,” she said as he closed the door between them.

  “I love you,” he said softly.

  “Love you more,” Mercy said, with a yawn.

  “Get to bed,” he growled before turning away and walking down the steps to where his grandfather waited.

  Alaric looked the door and smiled. “She is a worthy mate for you.”

  “She is my life and I won’t let her go, no matter what you all decide,” Alec warned.

  Alaric realized that and he feared losing his grandson because of it. “I’m trying, Alec, but some of the others are hard to convince.”

  “Work harder, because I’m not sure I won’t kill someone if I have to fight for her. She’s mine and I won’t lose her.”

  Alaric looked to his grandson with worry, seeing how tense and worked up he was, which was not a good thing. He needed to keep a level head if he wanted any chance at keeping his mate by his side. “I will do my best.”

  “Like you did for my father?” he snarled.

  “Boy, you don’t know everything,” Alaric growled.

  “Then you had better explain.” Alec stalked to a picnic bench and sat, willing to listen if it meant finding peace with his father.

  Alaric sighed and slowly walked to where he waited, dreading the conversation to come.

  Chapter Eleven

  “So you knew that the rogues were becoming a threat, but the rest of the Elders thought you were overreacting?” Alec asked his Grandfather.

  Alaric nodded. He had explained to his grandson what had happened in the past to make his son hate him so much and Alec had listened calmly until he finished. Now, though, there were questions to be answered, and although it dragged up a past-history he would rather put to rest, he knew he had to answer all of his grandson’s questions.

  “They couldn’t see what I did. They thought they were so powerful no one would dare go against them, but they were so wrong. Your mother died because your father tried to do what the Elders wouldn’t. Gregory united the packs and formed a group to fight against the rogues who threatened them, but it wasn’t enough.” Tears filled his eyes as he looked down on his grandson with shame. “Your father refused to see me after that night. The last time I saw him he threatened to kill me if I came near you or him, ever again. I knew he was angry and hoped in time he would see there was nothing else I could have done, but his bitterness never faded. I tried for years to explain to him and to see you, but he wouldn’t allow it. I failed him, my own flesh and blood and he will never forgive me, but I had hoped maybe you would.”

  Alec shook his head, unsure what to think. The man before seemed sincere and full of guilt over his mother’s death, but he doubted his father would see it that way. The loss of his mate had changed him, hardened him in ways few but Alec saw. He didn’t let many people into his inner circle, only those he trusted implicitly like Lucan, Cade, and Marlo. Alec did not see that changing anytime in the near future. “I was not there, and I don’t know my father’s side of the story and until I do, I simply can’t trust you.”

  It hurt to hear his grandson say he couldn’t trust him, but it was more than he deserved after failing his son so long ago. “I understand. I just thought it might help you forgive him, if you knew the whole story.”

  “He’s my father, there is no one else I trust more in my life aside from Mercy, but he lied to me and although I understand his reasons, it doesn’t make it any easier to swallow.”

  Alaric rose to his feet and placed his hand over his grandson’s. “I may not have gotten to spend time with you growing up, but I always kept tabs on you. I am proud of the man you have become and I know you will be a great Alpha like your father.”

  “Thank you, Ala...” he stopped and met his Alaric’s ice-blue gaze. “Grandfather.”

  Alaric felt his eyes mist with tears. “Go and get some sleep, we have a lot of work to do,” he said gruffly before turning and walking away.

  Alec watched him go, then looked to the house where he knew his father waited for him. He shook his head and turned away, still too hurt to face him, and walked to Mercy’s house instead.

  *****

  Mercy had fallen asleep quickly after Alec left, but soon after she closed her eyes, the horrific nightmares that had been haunting her began once again. Her dream started out happy enough, as it always did. Alec and she were in the middle of a large clearing, their hands joined as a man she didn’t recognize read the Bonding ritual out-loud. He spoke of love and commitment and how the binding of two Weres was to be cherished by all of those who live in the werewolf community. How their union was created by nature and was never to be taken for granted or allowed to be severed by another.

  Mercy felt her excitement build as he reached the end of the ceremony and she looked up at Alec, who stood before her smiling widely as the final stage of the ceremony began.

  “By taking this woman you are twining two souls together, binding your life to hers forever: is that your true desire?” the man asked Alec.

  “It is,” Alec said looking down on her with love shining brightly in his eyes.

  The man turned and looked to Mercy. “Is it your wish to bond with this male and be his mate for all time?”

  Mercy looked up at Alec and grinned. “It is.”

  He pulled a small intricately carved knife from his pocket and turned to face them. “To truly be bonded you must join your blood as one, so your hearts will forever beat in time with one another.” He reached out and took Mercy’s hand slicing her palm before reaching for Alec’s and doing the same. Out of the corner of her eye, Mercy saw a red-haired woman who could have been her twin, dressed in a long white flowing gown watching them with a haunted expression. A large pack of wolves broke through the wood line and began to attack those assembled. Mercy screamed, and Alec shoved her behind him as a lanky grey wolf approached them, his teeth bared, blood from another kill dripping from them to coat his muzzle. The wolf growled and pounced. Alec shifted and met him in the air, tearing into his flesh with his long sharp canines. The wolf let a cry of distress and two more came to his aid outnumbering Alec three to one. Mercy prepared to shift so she could fight along aside of him when someone grabbed her from behind and dragged her back into the forest away from the fighting. She screamed and kicked trying valiantly to get free, but the man’s grip on her was strong and she couldn’t get away. She called upon her wolf and felt the shift begin to overtake her when another man joined them and tossed something to the one gripping her tightly.

  “Get those
on her wrists the silver will stop her from shifting.”

  The man tossed her to the ground, punching her in the face hard enough to stun her so he could place the handcuffs on her. The cool metal heated quickly once he shackled her, burning the flesh of her wrists and she screamed in agony.

  “Get her out of here, now. I want to be sure her mate is dead, the last thing I need is for him to come looking for her.”

  Alec burst through the trees surrounding them and the man lifted a large gun and fired sending a barrage of silver bullets in his direction. Somehow, Alec managed to avoid them all and pounced on the man, knocking the gun from his hands. He tore into the man’s throat with deadly accuracy tearing into his jugular and ending his life then with a loud growl he turned to where the man holding Mercy stood his amber eyes meeting hers as he let out a howl.

  “Stupid animal,” the man taunted. “You want her, come and get her.” He tightened his hold around Mercy’s throat cutting off her air supply and Alec lunged for him just as he pulled gun from behind his back and shot him in the chest, blowing a large hole into his flesh that began to smolder, thanks to the silver bullets he had used. Alec howled and fell to the ground, blood pouring from the wound, unable to move.

  “No!” Mercy screamed, kicking and fighting to get to him.

  “Get her out of here!” the man with the gun screamed, shoving her at another male who appeared behind them.

  “Please don’t,” she begged as the man fought to pull her away. “I’ll do anything you want, please just let me heal him.”

  “Oh no, little one, I have plans for you and he is in the way,” the man with the gun said, his eyes morphing from a pale blue to a crimson hue that made her scream. He pulled out a large hunting knife, knelt down next to Alec, and slowly slid the knife along his neck ending any chance he had to live.