As I get closer to the desk I can see what looks like a robe with a note on top. Reading the exquisite handwriting and seeing my name I pick up the note and read the rest.
My Saviour Rosabel,
I thought you would appreciate the robe, so you could be covered before I enter.
Forever in your debt,
Dominick Filius Draconis
Of course Dominick would be at the root of this.
Just as I am tying the robe closed the door behind me opens and Dominick barely enters the room before I start demanding answers.
“How the hell did I get here and what have you done with Theo?” I shout as I poke him in the chest.
“Calm down, my saviour. I have done nothing to your lover. He remains where you left him, all be it he may be slightly concerned about your whereabouts.” He pauses and I open my mouth to yell some more, but he carries on, “You teleported here because I called you here. I wanted to tell you that I will allow you to claim your lover, even though it will break the tie between us. Think of it as a gift for saving me tonight."
"You pompous ass! Why didn't you just leave us to it?"
"I wanted you to know it was a gift. I thought you would prefer me to do it before rather than during the afterglow,” he says with a smirk that I would love to slap off his face.
I pace away from him trying to rein in my anger. The pacing helps me think.
"You wouldn't have been able to do it after because the tie would be broken. That's why you did it now."
"Oh Bel. It isn't the tie that enabled me to call you here. You have turned out to be a very interesting creature indeed. You see, Chomp has a very specific taste in blood. He loves a Druid and you have druid blood in your veins. As a druid you can teleport and be called upon, once you learn how to control it you will be able to choose whether or not to go when called."
“Bullshit! I don’t know any druids. My parents were both werewolves.” I storm back towards him.
“I know nothing of your kin, but I trust Chomp’s word and to have druid blood you must have one somewhere in your ancestry.”
“Fine, I’m a druid werewolf. You have informed my about the gift. Now send me the fuck back. NOW!” I scream.
Dominick steps around me and casually takes a seat behind his desk. “I can’t send you back, only you can do that. I can talk you through it though.”
“Let me get this straight, you brought me here knowing I knew nothing about these druid abilities and how to harness them?” I ask in disbelief.
“You are forgetting I can teleport myself too. It may be from a different source but essentially it is the same ability. You just have to visualise where you want to be, see every detail, smell every scent, and will yourself to be there.”
I take him at his word and do as he says. Closing my eyes I try to visualise Theo’s room but I’m so angry, the only thing I can manage to picture is me slogging Dominick with a good left hook.
Taking a deep breath and clearing my mind, I try again and again with no luck. My mind is now too blank.
I can do this.
I once again close my eyes and picture the steamy bathroom - the two man shower along one wall and the huge Jacuzzi in the corner. I smell Theo’s scent filling the room and mingling with my own. I feel the steam in the air caressing my skin, and finally I will myself to be there.
I know I am there before I even open my eyes. I can feel the smooth slate tiles under my feet and I can actually smell Theo’s scent. I can’t believe it, there was no spinning this time around. Excited to be back it takes me a moment to notice that the shower is no longer running and I’m the only person in the room.
I run through his empty bedroom and down the stairs in a panic screaming his name.
“THEO? THEO!”
I come to a halt as I enter the dining room, which happens to be jam packed with Theo’s pack. Every head in the room turns to face me as Theo barges through the crowd wearing nothing but some sweatpants. He doesn’t give me long to take in the sight. He reaches me in a heartbeat and pulls me into his bare chest.
“Bel, am I glad to see you? One minute you were in my arms, the next you were just… gone. I thought…” he didn’t need to finish, I can imagine what he thought. The kidnapper. He squeezes me harder. I breathe in his scent. It feels good to be back in his arms. My wolf wants to dig her way under his skin. She wants to become part of him.
“What happened? Where did you go?” His fear fading with me in his arms, I can now hear and feel the anger behind it. So much anger, not knowing who is to blame must be hard for him. He is an alpha. He’s meant to protect his people. Someone just ripped me out of his arms and he needs to punish them.
I pull back a little to look in his eyes. “Can I speak to you in private?”
I let my eyes roam the room full of pack members to get my point across. I don’t really want to tell him everything I have just learnt in front of the whole pack. I’m back where I started in Quilpie with Jared. I’m the odd one out again, not worthy of him. The minute they find out they will push me out. I won’t be good enough for their alpha. Some of them already think that due to my upbringing with the pride, essentially Chloe. Chloe is going to love this bit of news.
He leads me back to his room with a hand on my lower back.
Once in his room I gesture towards his bed. “You might want to be sitting for this.”
He follows my suggestion without argument and I recall everything that occurred since I left his arms in the shower. I wait for him to take it all in. I start to fiddle with the hem of the robe. He’s taking too long to answer. I’m going to have to walk past the pack, humiliated.
Just as I am about to go and get the clothes he was lending me from the bathroom he speaks.
“A druid werewolf? Okay.” It sounds more like a statement to himself but I answer him anyway.
“Yes. If you just give me a minute to get dressed, I’ll leave.” I head towards the bathroom willing to wear my blood stained clothes, as long as I can just get away quickly. I only manage two steps before he grabs my shoulder and spins me to face him once again.
“Why do you want to leave?” I can feel the worry coming off him in waves. It matches what I see in his eyes.
“I don’t want to leave but I understand you will want me to. I’m part druid, I’m not werewolf enough for you,” I say as I try to pull away from his hold.
“There is nothing I want more than to throw you on that bed and make love to you. You are my mate, my other half. I always thought that was a corny thing men said to women to keep them happy, but the second I met you I just knew. It doesn’t matter what you are. You were made for me. It means you are more than enough for me.” He cups my face and presses his lips against mine. My wolf pounces on that kiss, her energy pressing for more. I kiss him like it’s the last kiss I will ever have. His hands move down my body to my waist. He picks me up and throws me on the bed. I bounce once before he lands over me.
Are we finally going to do this? With the Pack downstairs.
“But the Pack?” I say unsure about whether we should be keeping them waiting.
He gives the tie on my robe a tug and I can feel the cool air caress my skin as I become exposed. He grins down at me. “The Pack can wait.”
19. LOYALTY
Rosabel
Lying next to my mate - my well and truly claimed mate - I could easily get used to being curled into his side, stroking his chest hairs as he plays with strands of my hair. I don’t think my wolf has ever felt this calm or content.
Theo’s energy suddenly changes from the blissful energy that was just flowing through the both of us to something that feels like fear. Before I can break the silence to ask him about it he clears his throat.
“I was terrified earlier. I thought the kidnapper was behind your disappearance. I ran around the house like a lunatic. When you were nowhere to be found I thought I had lost you before I’d even really had you. I have never felt like that before. I hav
e never been that terrified. Not in battle facing death myself. Not when my father was killed, not even when I became alpha. Never.” He holds me tighter against him and I squeeze back hoping to comfort him and decide to get my thoughts about the kidnapper off my chest.
We could be looking at the wrong suspect.
“I’ve been thinking. Why are you so sure the kidnapper is a vampire or werewolf? Couldn’t it be any supernatural creature, maybe a druid or a witch?” I ask leaning up to look at him.
“It could be a druid but we haven’t had any around town for a long-time. I still can’t see how a witch could overpower them if they are controlling them in some way? I don’t know of a spell that could do that. They would have to be channelling something dark to be able to strip people of free will. It’s not a white witch power like most of the witches in town practise.”
Discussing the kidnapper and the pack reminds me that they all remain downstairs. "Do you want to go and deal with your pack? We’ve kept them waiting a while." I giggle, picking my words carefully so as not to sound like an order. No one gives orders to the alpha.
"Our Pack. We are true mates. You are the Alpha female. And you're right, they have waited long enough. We should go put them out of their misery,” he says, patting me on the butt.
I shift, allowing him to get out of the bed.
He pulls on the sweatpants he removed earlier and grabs a t-shirt out of his drawers. He throws another at me along with a pair of shorts. They hit me in the face and I hear Theo laugh as I breathe in the scent on his shirt.
We both pad down the stairs barefoot, hands entwined. The bond from our mating is like nothing I could ever have imagined. I can feel him deep within me, like a comfort blanket wrapped around my soul. I'm aware of his feelings, his contentment somewhat like my own, but it's nothing like my empathy it's more internal than that. The pack are there too. I can't pick out any specific members but I can feel them as a whole.
We walk through the lounge with the L-shaped sofas and I glance at them longingly. Theo must notice because he stops, questioning me by just the look on his face.
"Maybe I could just stay here while you talk to the pack?"
He shakes his head and smiles. “No, you are Pack remember. You have to face them eventually.”
“Oh, fine,” I concede.
I tug his hand for him to lead me into the dining room where the pack await us. Before opening the door, he pulls me into his arms and kisses my forehead, giving me time to take a calming breath. The deep breath I take is filled with his scent; calming me even more. I love how he can read me now and know exactly what I need.
“Thank you,” I say, pecking him on the lips. I reach around him and open the door behind.
In our absence, the pack has gathered in groups to chat. Some sit, some stand, and some lean against the furniture that is in the middle of the room. Theo stops and stands just in the doorway.
Everyone turns to look in his direction, curiosity written all over their faces. We had been gone for at least an hour. I can understand their curiosity.
“Thank you for coming tonight. I apologise for the late notice and the delay,” he says addressing the pack. “The reason I called you here no longer remains. As you all can see my beautiful mate is no longer missing.”
The pack immediately start clapping, startling me into taking a step back and banging my back against the door frame.
Wesley steps forward. “I’d like to say, on behalf of the pack, congratulations. It’s an honour to have true mates as our alpha pair.” He kneels before the pair of us and bows his head. “Loyalty to my pack, loyalty to my alpha pair, for as long as I may live.”
Theo steps forward bringing me with him and places my hand on Wes’ shoulder and places his on the other. “Loyalty to my true mate. Loyalty to our pack for as long as I may live,” he says, giving me a nod as he glances in my direction.
I stare at him blankly. I know I should say something but I’m not really sure what. My wolf pushes to the forefront of my mind and with her she brings the knowledge and natural instinct. The words just flow out.
“Loyalty to my true mate and our pack for as long as I may live.”
With that, the whole room drops to their knees. “Loyalty to my pack, loyalty to my alpha pair for as long as I may live.”
The feel of the pack inside me starts to pulse, and with a snap I feel it solidify. I can feel every member, I can distinguish every member even the ones I have never been introduced to. I know who is mated and who isn’t.
I am pack; there is no doubt about that now.
“Rise,” Theo commands. Once every member has risen he proceeds, “Now that we have dealt with the formalities it’s time to get our pack members back.”
The room erupts with a chorus of agreement.
“As most of you know, Paddy and Alyssa attacked Dominick Drake earlier tonight. If Rosabel hadn’t discovered the attack in time Dominick would have been killed, which would have resulted in an instant war. Rosabel brought up a valid point just a short while ago. She brought it to my attention that we may be looking at too narrow a suspect pool - that a druid or witch may be kidnapping and stripping them of their free will. The fact that neither of them would attack Dominick of their own accord makes me believe that Bel may just be right.
I think the best way to find this person is to start patrols. Alyssa went missing at Misty’s and this most recent attack was there too, making me believe the suspect may be connected to that area. I suggest we start patrols there and then work our way out. Since he has two wolves I want you in groups of three. Billy I’d like you to take the first patrol tomorrow night. Who would you like to take with you?”
Billy, the biker, steps forward in his leather trousers, a black muscle tank and heavy boots. No jacket.
Shit his jacket is still on the sofa at home.
“I’ll take Phil and Darren if that is okay with you, boss?”
“Yeah, I’m happy with your choice. Phil, that okay with you?” He nods to a guy in front of us who wouldn’t be my first choice.
He’s tall and so thin that if a gust of wind hit him he’d snap in half. He has a dark crew cut but it’s his fashion sense that makes him stand out the most. His red and blue check shirt matched with beige trousers look great, until you look at his Jesus sandals with socks.
“That’s cool.”
“Darren, how about you?”
“I’m all yours,” says a gruff voice. Now this guy I would choose. He’s freaking huge in all directions. Honestly, he must have come through the front door sideways. It looks like it is all muscle too. His shaved head has a nice shine to it. He’s wearing a navy wife beater with white-washed jeans and what look like steel toe-capped safety boots.
“Good. I suggest all three of you meet around the back of Misty’s at half past five. I’m going to speak to Dominick and see if he will send some of his guys on patrols too. Every man helps. I’ll meet the three of you when Misty’s shuts. If you see anything unusual before then call it in.” All three guys nod and Theo looks around taking in the rest of the pack.
“You may all leave now, but be sure to stay safe and stick in groups. Thanks again.”
I step away from the door as everyone moves to file out, many stopping to say a few words to Theo on their way. A few of them even greet me with a smile and welcome me to the pack.
Theo is so attentive to his members. I smile as I watch him deal with them all. This wonderful and gorgeous guy is my mate. When I left Quilpie to find a Pack never, in my wildest dreams did I imagine finding my true mate. A guy I can actually love. It hits me like a sledge hammer as I watch him follow Wesley and Billy out the room whilst chatting. I have only known him a short time but I do, I do love him.
I am just about to follow him when I sense someone behind me. I quickly spin around uncomfortable with a stranger at my back. I find Chloe in skinny white jeans and a fitted fuchsia pink singlet with her long blonde hair straightened to perfection to match
the perfect heavy make-up. I try not to think about what I must look like after my hair had been left to dry wild and the fact that all my make-up will be washed off after my shower. I don’t think any woman could help but feel slightly inferior when stood next to the beautiful Chloe.
“Looks like it’s just you and me now, Rosabel. They could be a while in there chatting pack business. Maybe we should take the time to get to know each other a little?”
I know, without a doubt, I am allowed in there with Theo and the others, and as much as I feel bad to think about leaving Chloe to her own devices, I haven’t forgotten how she feels about Theo and I mating. She made it perfectly clear with the outburst at the last Pack meeting - not to mention the way she greeted Theo earlier this evening.
“There you are?” Theo says, popping his head around the doorway, “I was starting to worry you might have vanished again,” he adds jokingly.
“I’m just coming,” I say as I turn towards the door.
A wave of jealousy from Chloe almost bowls me over. It’s so strong I actually stumble. I was right to remember where she stands in regards to me and Theo. There is no way she is going to just move aside and accept this.
Glancing back at her I decide I need to keep my enemy close. “Sorry Chloe. Maybe we can get to know each other another time. Grab a coffee and have a manicure or something?”
She looks at me, the shock is written all over her face, “S-sure that sounds good,” she stutters as I leave the room.
I find Theo and Wesley in the lounge, sitting in the same place they had been last time. It’s the first time I have really looked at Wesley tonight. He looks miserable. His sadness pouring off him and filling the room.
As I sit next to him, he looks at me with a puzzled look, probably wondering why I’m sitting next to him and not Theo. I ignore his look and put my arm through his, stroking his forearm in a comforting gesture.
Pride to Pack (The Mount Roxby Series) Page 13
