by Bianca D'Arc
*
Maria wasn’t sure how it had happened, but she’d ended up sitting at a very large dining table, surrounded by what looked like key members of the Clay Ridge pack. Shane had made sure to keep her by his side, even going so far as to hold her hand under the table from time to time as if he wanted to reassure himself she was there. She liked it. His strong grip made her feel safe after the tumult of the morning. She hadn’t let it show, but her knees had been shaking the entire time she stood on the front steps, presenting the façade of a pistol packin’ mama.
While Maria knew how to shoot and had done target practice any number of times, today had been a first—she’d never shot someone before. She prayed she never had to do so again, but she would defend herself if she had to, and the werewolves needed to understand that.
After being shunned for so long when she’d asked questions about the pack and their lifestyle, Maria was nonplussed as Shane made sure to introduce her to everybody, and explain what their position and function was in the pack.
Patty’s husband, Bob, for example, was introduced as the Beta male of the pack. Second-in-command to Shane. Which made Patty the Beta female. Considering the way Patty took care of everyone, that made total sense to Maria.
A few of the guys who had been helping Bob rebuild his house were introduced as enforcers and they all seemed loyal to Shane, talking openly in front of her about the fight. They all seemed impressed that she had come out to defend herself and Shane. She received more than one pat on the back, which also surprised her. The werewolves were so welcoming now, when before they’d been almost hostile.
Was it that thing Shane had said about her being his mate? Maria still couldn’t quite believe he’d said that. As soon as they had a moment alone, she was going to have to ask him about it. She wasn’t completely sure, but it sounded like he had claimed her in front of his pack, which probably meant that he was taking their relationship—new as it was—to the next level. Or maybe the level above that, even. She wasn’t sure exactly, but it sounded serious to her.
She was going to have to nail that down, for her own peace of mind, but there were too many people around. She didn’t want to air any more of her private affairs in front of the world at large. Some things she wanted to keep to herself. Shane being the most important one, at the moment.
He’d rocked her world last night and made a lot of her fantasies come to life. She’d never thought a man could bring her such pleasure, or inspire such tender feelings in her heart. Maria was very much afraid that she was falling in love with Shane.
Or maybe it would be more accurate to say that she had already fallen for him. It felt an awful lot like he held a little piece of her heart now, and would forevermore. Should she be worried? Was heartbreak just around the corner?
Before the confrontation in the front yard, she would have said yes, definitely. But then he’d said that thing about her being his mate and everything had changed. At least, that’s how it felt. And the pack seemed to believe it too. The only real question remained was if Shane had meant it the way it had sounded. She’d get the answer to that as soon as she got him alone. She couldn’t let this go any further until she knew for sure if they were both thinking along the same lines—a permanent relationship. Love. Commitment. The whole nine yards.
Whoa. Maria cautioned herself about getting too carried away as the lunch dishes were cleared and a bunch of the people she’d just met started to take their leave. Each one was extremely polite and made sure to say goodbye to her individually. It was really nice to be made to feel so welcome and special. The werewolves were really nice, she thought, once you got to know them.
Maria noticed that Shane had invited Bob and a few of the others to stick around for a strategy session. At least, that’s what he called it. The group—made up mostly of men—agreed to stay and retreated to some room father back in the house, that she hadn’t yet seen.
Shane stopped her from helping Patty clear the dishes with a gentle hand on her arm. She looked up at him, wondering what he wanted to say. They were still surrounded by other people, though there were less now than there had been. Still, she didn’t exactly want to have a conversation about their relationship out in the open, where anyone could hear. Especially if she was wrong about the whole mate thing.
“Honey, I have to ask you to stay here at the pack house for another night. The McCarthys may fight back and I can’t protect you if you’re at Lulu’s. Besides, I haven’t had time to organize repairs there, though I’ll ask some of the guys to start gathering the necessary supplies, and if we have time today, we can get a start on making that place secure again. I just—” He trailed one strong hand through his hair in what looked like frustration. “I want you to stay here tonight, where I can keep an eye on you. Until I’m sure the McCarthys have followed my orders and left my territory, it’s not entirely safe out there for you. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” she said immediately, wanting to put him at ease. “None of this is your fault, and I can see the danger. I’m not stupid enough to want to be out there, in that old house on the edge of town, all by myself right now. I’ll gladly accept your invitation to stay. Thanks for putting my safety first.”
Shane surprised her by pulling her into his arms for a quick squeeze as he kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear. “Always, sweetheart. I’ll always put you first.”
The words and the endearment sent shivers down her spine, but he let her go too quickly, turning to join the other men in the room at the back of the house. He left her breathless, leaning against the dining room table with a silly grin on her face, she was certain.
Patty’s chuckle brought Maria out of her stupor. “I remember that feeling,” Patty said with a sigh. “I still feel it too—every time Bob touches me and lets me know I’m the center of his universe, just like he’s mine.” Patty hugged herself as she smiled. “It’s good to see Shane so happy.”
Patty sat down at the table, inviting Maria to do the same now that the men had left and it was just them left in the dining room.
“Is it?” Maria asked, stalling for time.
She wanted to know so much more about these people—and Shane in particular—but she wasn’t sure it was right to talk about him behind his back like this. Already she felt a loyalty to him that was unprecedented in her experience. She’d never felt this immediate need to defend any other man she’d ever been with. Maybe it was a werewolf thing rubbing off one her?
“None of us know his whole story,” Patty went on, her smile turning conspiratorial, but still friendly. “Maybe the old Alpha did, and maybe that’s why he left Shane in charge. Since losing his mate, Ivan was used to keeping his own counsel and he didn’t tell anyone much about his reasons for taking to Shane so quickly. But those of us who respected Ivan and trusted he would leave the pack as well off as he could, considering his situation, gave Shane a chance and we haven’t regretted it. Shane’s a good Alpha and having found you, can only make him better. An Alpha needs a mate. It grounds them and makes them more stable and less erratic. Or so say the elders.”
Maria was dumbfounded by Patty’s assumptions. Shane’s words seemed to mean exactly what they’d sounded like out there on the front lawn. He’d claimed her in front of his pack and now they seemed to think she was his girlfriend…or mate—whatever that implied.
“There’s so much I want to know about your people,” Maria admitted, speaking her thoughts aloud. Patty just smiled more broadly and touched Maria’s hand across the table. It was a comforting gesture.
“Girl, you’re one of us now. I’ll fill you in on everything you need to know.”
What followed was the most enlightening afternoon of Maria’s life. Patty appeared willing to answer just about any question Maria had about shifter society and werewolf packs in particular. She was candid in her opinions and detailed in her descriptions of traditions and societal rules that Maria had often wondered about. She wished she could take notes, but real
ized that would probably be frowned upon and didn’t want to do anything to stop this amazing flow of information.
Maria felt a little guilty, though. She thought maybe Patty was being so open with her under false pretenses, and felt it only fair to say something.
“You know I’m a researcher, right?” Maria asked at one point when Patty had finished one explanation, before launching into the next.
Patty waved one hand dismissively. “We all know you’ve been trying to get information about pack life since you got here. But things are different now. You won’t do anything to hurt Shane or jeopardize the pack’s safety. You proved that to everyone today. Man! I still can’t believe the way you shot Jon.” Rather than be horrified, Patty seemed very, very pleased.
“Neither can I, to be honest. I’ve never shot anyone before,” Maria admitted.
“Oh, don’t worry. I didn’t think you were some kind of serial killer Annie Oakley, but you certainly knew how to get the job done when it counted. That impressed the hell out of everybody. They won’t dismiss you so easily now. In fact, I’m pretty sure they’ll take you very, very seriously from now on. Nobody goes out of their way to mess with an Alpha female.” Patty chuckled and Maria tried to hide her dismay.
“I’m not a wolf. I’m not Alpha anything,” she protested.
“On the contrary, there are Alphas in every race—even among humans. You’re one. Though nobody should really be surprised. Your Aunt Lulu was Alpha too. I liked her a lot.”
“You knew my aunt?” Maria realized she shouldn’t have been so surprised. It was a small town, after all.
“She was sweet on my father’s brother. They were courting, Lulu told me, but he was killed in a freak accident up on the mountain. It’s a shame because he was a born Alpha, from what daddy said. Ivan probably would’ve made him his heir, if he’d lived, and if what I believe to be true had come to pass, your aunt would’ve been his Alpha female. As it was, he died young and poor Lulu never married. Once you find your mate, it’s hard to settle for anyone else.” Patty looked sad for a moment, but then she sighed. “Lulu was a good woman. She would’ve been good pack, if she’d had the chance. And it’s obvious you take after her. You’re good for Shane and you’ll be good for the pack. Of that, I have no doubt.” Patty stood and began clearing the last few dishes they’d left on the table while they talked. “It’s almost like you’re getting the chance to complete the circle Lulu and my uncle started.”
When Maria looked at it like that, it seemed almost inevitable. But one thing was for certain—she had to have a very long talk with Shane before too much longer. She had to know for sure where he stood on the whole relationship question. Until she knew that, she had to be cautious about building too many castles in the air.
Chapter Eight
The meeting to discuss the McCarthy threat and how the pack’s enforcers and leadership would meet it, lasted all afternoon. That wasn’t quite how Shane had planned to spend his day, but he had to make sure Maria was protected. He wouldn’t be able to go on living if anything happened to her. It was just that simple. That terrifying. And that amazing.
He’d found his mate. Fate had put her in his path and he thanked the Goddess he hadn’t missed her. Now he just had to convince Maria that she belonged with him. Forever.
The pack—those who had come to his rescue when the McCarthys tried to gang up on him—had been great about everything. Of course, Maria’s actions had gone a long way toward their acceptance of her. She’d shown that she would defend her mate, and herself. She’d even shot Jon, much to Shane’s amazement. Maria had proven that she wouldn’t take shit from anybody, and she was every inch the Alpha bitch—in the best possible way.
Bob and the other guys set up a schedule to keep a concealed perimeter guard all around the pack house for tonight. The McCarthys had been given a deadline to leave the territory. If they chose not to keep it, there would be more trouble. Shane didn’t intend to leave his mate unprotected. He wouldn’t risk her safety—and wouldn’t leave her side, if at all possible—until the threat was over.
Right now that meant he had to be sure the McCarthys were well and truly gone. Until he was certain of their departure, he wouldn’t relax his guard. That the rest of the pack was willing to help him protect his mate, meant that he had come a long way in gaining their respect.
“I’ll send Jimmy over to Lulu’s place and he can take inventory of the supplies we’ll need to fix up the house,” Bob said, making notes on his phone. He’d really stepped up as Beta of the pack when Shane needed him most.
“I don’t want to cause any delays in getting your house rebuilt, Bob, but I’d sure appreciate the help,” Shane told him. “Russ and Jon broke every lock in Lulu’s old house. Every window. Every door. And they trashed a few of the rooms, including Maria’s bedroom.”
One of the men—and older fellow named Milton—whistled through his teeth. “That’s low,” he commented. “Invading a woman’s sanctuary. My Millie would’ve done more than pump buckshot into Jon ass for that.” Everybody laughed, knowing Milton’s mate was a sweet and gentle wolf.
When the laughter died down, Shane spoke again. “I want to thank you all for your help this morning, and your willingness to continue helping me fix things for Maria. I had no idea where this would all lead when I found her in the woods yesterday, and I never could have predicted this startling turn of events.”
“You’re a lucky man, though, Alpha, to have found your mate,” one of the single men said, a healthy dose of envy clear in his voice.
“And such a feisty female at that,” another added, smiling in approval. “She’ll make a good Alpha female for this pack, even if she doesn’t know our ways yet. She’ll learn.”
“Hell, she’s been wanting to know about us. Maybe that was just a natural expression of the fact that she was meant to become one of us,” another speculated.
“Whatever the reason…” Bob brought them back to the matter at hand, “…we’re glad you found each other and I for one, will support you, Shane. Patty already told me she likes Maria a lot and I could see for myself the woman has guts to spare.”
Bob’s public declaration of approval was unexpected, but very welcome. Shane noticed heads nodding in agreement all around the table. Without even asking for it, the most important members of the pack were giving their approval. Shane realized it was a turning point. Somehow, without even trying—or even being aware that it was necessary—Maria had brought about a major change in the way the pack regarded Shane’s leadership.
They were finally accepting him, and his choices, fully. Maybe they didn’t realize that they’d been reserving judgment on most of Shane’s decisions, but he’d definitely felt slight resistance to every change he had proposed in the past. Most of these meetings had been contentious up ‘til now.
In fact, this was the first time this group had met where everybody was in agreement. It was a moment to remember, even if the others didn’t seem to realize it. Shane saw the difference, and that’s what mattered. They were accepting him. And they were accepting Maria, which made him feel all warm and fuzzy inside, though he’d never let it show. Not much, anyway.
They wrapped up the meeting not long after that and most of the enforcers headed out. Some were going wolf to run the perimeter for the first shift, while others were going home to catch some sleep before working the night shift. Jimmy was going to Lulu’s old house to start taking inventory of what they’d need to make Maria’s home secure again and Bob was organizing the whole thing.
Bob and a couple of the others stayed for dinner, which was almost ready when they ended the long meeting. Shane went to grab a quick shower and change of clothes, stopping only to look into the kitchen and give Maria a quick kiss. She was cooking up a storm with Patty, the two of them working side-by-side as if they’d done so for years.
Shane was glad to see Maria making friends with one of the most important women in the pack. If Maria had Patty’s approval
—which it was clear she did—it would make it a lot easier to befriend the rest of the women in the pack. Patty had been leading the female contingent, but she wasn’t really Alpha enough to prevent the occasional disagreement from escalating. Maria, though… She’d be able to handle just about anything the old busybodies could dish out. Of that, he was certain.
Anyone who could plug Jon McCarthy full of buckshot and not blink an eye was a force to be reckoned with. All in all, having her show her backbone before even being inducted officially into the pack might’ve been a very good thing. Those who hadn’t been there in person had probably already heard the story about how the little human had stood with the Alpha against the entire McCarthy clan. Her legend was growing, he’d bet on it, and Shane thought that would turn out to be a very helpful thing in the long run.
*
Dinner was a blur of conversation and stolen glances. Shane wanted nothing more than to be alone with his mate. He wanted to hold her and kiss her…and make love to her. He wanted to touch her and reassure himself that nothing and no one would ever tear them apart. He wanted to talk with her and get her to promise to stay with him forever.
He knew they needed to talk. To clear the air between them. He’d gone about declaring their mate bond before he’d ever spoken to her about it, which had probably been a very bad move, but had to be done. He hoped she’d forgive him, but he had to get her alone to have the conversation first. Shane was through conducting their relationship in public. At least for now.
No, now was the time to cuddle in private with his mate. It was time to pamper her and treat her like the lady she was, and convince her to put up with him for the rest of their lives. If only he could get her alone…
