The Mating Game

by Melissa Snark

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Well, Isabel is finally asleep,” Theresa said as she walked into her family room where Zach and Robert waited. Having received her promised movie and mommy-and-me time, Isabel had contentedly gone to bed following a couple stories.

  Approaching her mates, her emotions formed an intricate, inexplicable tangle, so mixed up she couldn’t tell one feeling from another. The three of them formed a funky triangle. She and Zach were emotionally intimate, but Robert remained a far flung point, distant from their tight base. He separated himself both through physical proximity and the emotional wall thrown up to keep them out of his head.

  Robert took up most of the loveseat with his considerable bulk. He smiled but said nothing, keeping his own council. His tense posture mirrored the restless energy ringing throughout his aura.

  “It’s time we put our house in order.” Robert pushed to his feet as if driven to move at any cost. He paced the length of the small room.

  Theresa stepped out of his way, coming to a stop beside Zach. She glanced at his fingers, which hung suspended above the keyboard. She could almost see the river of words rushing through his head. He chased the wording of a sentence, tossing various phrasings through his thoughts, and then made his choice. His fingers flew again.

  Robert waited and watched, expecting a response.

  Theresa’s finger poked his bicep. “Zach!”

  He stopped typing and glanced up. “Sorry, I finally broke through my writer’s block.”

  “That much is obvious,” Theresa said with an arched brow.

  Robert rolled his eyes heavenward. Unspoken words, This is why I should be Alpha, traversed his aura and then crossed the bond.

  Theresa heard the words as clearly as if he’d said them aloud. Her astonishment rang as clear as a bell. Robert’s realization and surprise followed a second later.

  “We already agreed you’d make a better Alpha,” Zach said with biting sarcasm. He looked up and his blue eyes flashed. “No need to be an arse about it.”

  “Zach!” Theresa gasped his name and reached for his hand, clutching it between her own. “We heard his thoughts. Doesn’t that surprise you at all?”

  Zach offered a cool smile. His British accent grew rather pronounced. “Not really,” he said. “In the last week, you have restored the pack’s magic and ascended to the rank of Alpha female. Everything else seems rather commonplace in comparison.”

  Robert’s rich laughter filled the room. “All right then,” he said, clapping his hands in amusement. “I suppose that’s something else we’ll learn to deal with.”

  Zach closed his laptop. “For the record, I concur. We need to put our house in order. Tonight. Gather the pack and make the announcement. We need to remove Adam from his throne.”

  Both males radiated tension. The rising tide swept Theresa along, filling her with excitement. Her eagerness for the coming confrontation shocked her to the core. Yet, there was no denying her desire to knock Adam Teller from the top of his hill.

  “My mother will be here in ten minutes to watch Isabel. I’ll make the call,” Theresa said. “I can’t wait to tell that bitch, Becky Teller, that her reign is over.”

  Zach threw back his head. His hand slapped his knee and he roared with laughter. A second later, Robert joined in. Theresa smiled, then grinned, and did her best not to blush.

  “Well said.” Zach chuckled. “Well said.”

  ****

  “I feel like we’re in some old black and white Western—gunfight at the O.K. corral,” Theresa said, pitching her voice low, although any one of the many wolves milling about them was close enough to eavesdrop.

  “I call dibs on being Doc Holiday.” Zach’s mouth tugged into a closed-lip smile, but his facial muscles remained rigid, betraying the tension he carried in the taut lines of his long frame. His gaze moved through the crowd, searching faces and watching for threats.

  “Why would you want to be one of the villains?” Robert asked from her other side. He stood apart even though the unbreakable threads of the mate bond stretched between the three of them. Through that link, Theresa sensed the studied deliberation of his mood, devoid of anything but cold calculation.

  “I think my definition of villain and yours may differ,” Zach replied with perfect equanimity. He touched Theresa’s elbow and indicated his watch. “Adam is late.”

  “He’s coming,” Theresa said, folding her arms across her chest. “I spoke with Becky.”

  “Villain isn’t a debatable term,” Robert said. “It means bad guy—plain and simple.”

  Zach snorted. “That’s rich coming from an attorney—”

  “Every accused party is entitled to legal representation…”

  Theresa sighed and turned away from the men. Her mates. Even in her thoughts, the concept sounded strange. Foreign. But even that was not nearly as weird as the prospect of making their new relationship public through formal presentation to the pack.

  At her request, Iron Stone’s pack had gathered in the meadow beside Foxtail Creek. She had chosen the location because it could not be defined as Adam’s personal territory. Also, the place had special significance for the pack. Their bond had been born here the night she had fought Donna.

  The air vibrated with expectation—every member of the pack felt the excitement. The mood swept the wolves on a rising tide of anticipation and intense curiosity. They all knew why they had gathered.

  The old Alpha would cede his throne to the new king.

  “At least no one’s quaking in fear at the prospect of new leadership,” Zach said, tone dry as he stood beside her and surveyed the faces of those who had gathered.

  At the far side of the clearing, a tremendous force cracked the pack’s communal link, creating a perceivable rift. “Adam’s here,” Theresa said a second before the Alpha entered the field.

  “About bloody time.” Zach spoke between clenched teeth and he seethed with impatience, casting a dark red patina across his aura.

  Adam strode to the center of the field. Becky walked at his right side and his enforcers formed a tight ring about them. Their entourage stopped five paces opposite Theresa and her mates. The rest of the pack crowded in closer, forming a half-circle about the threesome. Adam’s sharp eyes settled on their little trio and Theresa’s skin crawled under his penetrating glare. She doubted that he appreciated her choice of venue.

  “Evening, folks,” Adam drawled with a wide smile that showed plenty of teeth. “Thank you all for gathering, especially on the night after the full moon. I understand that it’s hard on folks, getting away from their families and friends two nights in a row. However, it seems that Theresa has an important announcement to make, so I’ll turn the forum over to her.”

  The subtle dig caused the corners of her mouth to tug down, but Theresa refused to show weakness or doubt. Zach stood at her side, a steady source of support, and Robert had her back. All eyes were on them, full of curiosity and speculation. The pack knew something was up with the three of them, but since the pack bond flowed through her, she had control over what information was disseminated. She perceived the magic as a tangled mass of threads, each connecting an individual wolf to the whole, while she stood at the center of it all.

  Taking a deep breath, she walked to the center of the circle. She cleared her throat and held her hands at her sides, elbows bent, fighting the impulse to fidget.

  “Thank you for coming tonight,” Theresa said. “I appreciate everyone having been so patient while I decided on a mate. It was a difficult decision and not one that I wanted to take lightly. Both Robert and Zach are good men and each would make an excellent leader, which made my decision even more difficult.”

  Theresa turned her head to look at Zach and smiled warmly. “As I’m sure everyone knows, Zach has been my best friend since he arrived in Iron Stone three years ago. He’s fixed just about every appliance at my place. Isabel and I would have drowned a long time ago if it weren’t for him.”


  The crowd burst into laughter, hearty guffaws, and a few nervous chuckles. Speculative gazes turned toward Zach and the audience’s anxiety levels rose, because they knew that a fight would inevitably follow if she had chosen him over Robert.

  Theresa directed her gaze toward Robert. She met and held his eyes, bold and not fearful in her appreciation, because of the woman she had grown to be, thanks in part to him.

  “I owe Robert my thanks and my eternal gratitude. When Carl Reynolds attacked me, he came to my rescue. He’s a courageous, capable man, and he’s willing to sacrifice everything for this pack.”

  Theresa licked her lips and continued, determined to remind the pack of Adam’s promise. “As you all recall, Adam intends to step down and bequeath the position of Alpha to the man, to the mate, of my choosing.”

  The pack rumbled in response, dozens of voice forming an excited cacophony, and the shared anticipation built to an even sharper pitch. The air hummed with tangible energy.

  Charlaine stood out from the crowd, apart from the other wolves, boldly claiming her place in the world. Theresa met her friend’s gaze and support flowed from the black woman to her. She felt that much better knowing the Gamma had her back.

  Becky Teller frowned, her cheeks reddened with impatience. “Enough grandstanding, Theresa. Tell us who you’ve picked already.”

  A smirk formed on Theresa’s lips, and she stared straight at Becky. Her confidence rose and, with it, a deep sense of satisfaction. Glancing over her shoulder, she extended both of her arms toward Robert and Zach, beckoning them. The men stepped forward, coming to stand beside her, one to either side. Zach took her right hand, Robert her left.

  The moment that physical contact occurred between them, their mate bond flared to life, bright and brilliant for all to see. Together, they formed a triad, a triumvirate—each individual part of the greater whole, which was stronger than the sum of its parts.

  “I’ve chosen them both,” Theresa announced, confirming with words what the pack already perceived. “The three of us have entered into a mate bond together. Robert will be our new Alpha and Zach his Beta.”

  A hush fell across the meadow, absolute silence so pronounced that even an indrawn breath could be heard from one end to the other. All eyes stared at those in the center of the field in mixed expectation and terror.

  Fury suffused Adam’s formidable body and his stance grew rigid. His heavy jaw muscles ground and his fists clenched. “You cannot have two mates. You must choose between them,” he said in a dangerous voice.

  Their joined hands fell apart as the men released their grip on her. Robert advanced a pace and Zach did the same. Theresa lunged and grabbed hold of Robert’s bicep.

  “Wait, please, wait,” Theresa cried, well aware that she had no hope of restraining Robert. She hoped he’d allow her a second to speak before he issued a formal challenge and the situation turned to violence.

  He glanced at her and hesitated. She witnessed the conflict taking place in his head, and then he tilted his chin in a gesture of acquiescence.

  “Some Alpha he would be. See how he obeys a mere female,” Adam said with a sneer.

  Theresa stiffened and squared her shoulders. “A smart male listens to his mate when it is appropriate to do so. That makes him wise, not weak.”

  “You cheated.” Adam huffed in anger and his influence flowed across the landscape, causing the weaker members of the pack to cower. She experienced the force of his personality, buffered as if a powerful wind had struck her, but the triumvirate kept her anchored.

  “I did not cheat,” Theresa said. “There is nothing in our laws forbidding three wolves from entering into a mate bond together. We took the oath together.”

  “The mate bond must be sealed or it is invalid,” Becky said, speaking in an ah-ha tone that implied she had caught Theresa out.

  Theresa stared at the petite blonde for a long moment, and a smug smile curved her lips. “Oh, I assure you, the mate bond is sealed.”

  Becky gasped and stared at her in righteous indignation. She leveled a finger at Theresa and fell back a pace. “Whore!”

  “You’re one to speak, bitch,” Theresa said, glaring at the older women with narrowed eyes.

  “Enough! This is a travesty, and I won’t have it in my pack!” Adam started toward Theresa with murder in his eyes.

  “This isn’t your pack anymore. It’s mine.” Robert stared Adam straight in the eyes. He stepped forward, inserting himself between the former Alpha and Theresa.

  “I’m backing Robert. I suggest you see this as an opportunity to retire like you wanted.” Zach joined Robert, standing shoulder to shoulder, so that they presented a united front.

  Adam shot Zach a venomous look. From the expression on his face, he felt betrayed. “This isn’t happening,” he said, bristling with belligerence. He turned his head to the side and addressed his head enforcer. “Jax, I do believe we’re going to have to put down an uprising within the pack.”

  The pack’s tension skyrocketed out of control. Many of the weaker members whimpered and retreated in fear. The stronger members stood trembling with anticipation, some paralyzed with indecision, but others immediately threw support behind the leader they perceived as strongest.

  Theresa turned her attention to the rest of the pack, leaving her mates to deal with the former Alpha. The conflict threatened the foundation of the fragile pack, the connection that she had forged, so she regarded it with a fierce maternal instinct. She would protect it at all cost.

  Surfing the shifting currents of the collective aura, Theresa mapped the network of personal relationships and loyalty, determining where the strongest links intersected with Robert versus the deposed Alpha. Remarkably, she found doubt and indecision in those closest to Adam, within the hearts of those who should have been his stoutest supporters—his elite guard.

  The discovery shocked her because enforcers typically owed loyalty directly to the Alpha and existed outside of the pack’s structure of rank and organization. It opened a world of possibilities.

  Theresa exerted her influence through the pack bond, using all of her strength to reach the Alpha’s isolated enforcers. She connected with Jax first and, through him, extended fragile threads to the other three body guards.

  Heads turned toward her, astonished gazes and stares of disbelief, although whether for her ability or her audacity she did not know. Robert and Zach must’ve understood her intention because a sudden flood of energy from them flowed into her.

  Theresa met Jax’s gaze; he had slate gray eyes. Within him, she sensed no doubt, only welcome. He did not attempt to shut her out when the combined power of the triumvirate touched him, opening pathways and forging new connections. Within seconds, he had become a full and proper member of their pack.

  “Enforcers, you will obey me.” Adam shouted at the top of his lungs while attempting to block her, but it was already too late.

  “I don’t see how it’s our place to interfere,” Jax said. “We are here to protect you from external threats. Theresa has done exactly as she was instructed—she chose a mate from the two candidates presented to her. By our laws, Robert Blane is our new Alpha.”

  Jax’s words caused a stir, riling up the already volatile members of the pack, and left the other enforcers in the position of following his lead or going against the boss. The remaining three exchanged looks, and then Tyrone stepped to stand beside Jax. Roy and Silo remained rooted where they stood, unwilling to commit to one side or the other.

  Marshaling all of the power at her disposal, Theresa shoved against the formidable wall that Adam had erected, attempting to crumble it. The conflict created a disharmonious vibration throughout the ambient aura that grated on nerves, causing tempers to flare.

  Adam glared at her, his lips curling away from his teeth in a snarl. However, he had no way of reaching her past the protective wall that Robert and Zach presented.

  Adam’s eyes narrowed to slits, and he closed his hands to fist
s. He cast a fuming glance toward the body guards who had deserted him. Defeat swirled about him, but also acknowledgement.

  “You’ve won. For now. But don’t think for a second that this is over,” Adam said, glaring at Robert. The former Alpha’s malevolent gaze settled on Zach and then Theresa in turn.

  Tense, expectant silence endured as Adam Teller turned and marched from the meadow. Becky fell into step beside her mate, walking with her head high and her spine stiff. After a moment’s hesitation, Roy and Silo followed their leader. Once they had left, all eyes transferred to Robert.

  Concentrating on her connection with the pack, Theresa sensed the mood of the lower-ranked wolves. Fear. Worry. But also hope, because Robert’s reputation as a fair and honorable man meant he was widely liked and respected.

  She felt Robert reach through the pack bond, gathering the threads connecting each member to the whole and holding them as one would the reins of a horse. Through force of personality, he pulled all of them together closer and knit a tighter knot.

  “We are pack,” he said, arms raised, palms extended. “We are wolves, and I am your Alpha.”

  A jolt of excitement lanced through the pack, and then was followed by pure joy. The members came to him with heads bowed in submission and hands extended to touch their new leader.

  Hands stroked Theresa’s arms and back, and she realized with a faint shock that her fellow wolves were paying tribute to her also.

  Their Alpha female.

  Charlaine’s hand captured and held her fingers. Startled, Theresa looked up into her friend’s eyes and concern spiked through her. Would the Delta wolf resent being ranked beneath a weaker she-wolf?

  “Are we okay?” Theresa asked Charlaine. “With me being Alpha?”

  Charlaine grinned, white gleaming teeth, and hugged her. “We’re good. You’re what this pack needs, Theresa. As cheesy as it sounds, you are our Heart.”

  Epilogue

  Zach crouched beside Isabel at the far side of the yard behind Theresa’s bungalow house. His hand rested against the small of her back. “The construction workers are going to build a protective enclosure around your garden while the old house is torn down and the new house is being built,” he said. “That way, none of the plants are damaged by accident and your fairy friends will be unharmed.”