Jacque turned to Reece. “What about you?”
Reece glared at him, a young man testing himself against the alpha. Jacque simply stared until Reece dropped his eyes. “Pretty much the same story. I don’t read much though,” he added. “I’m more into sports.”
Yeah, that would be a problem now that the boy was older. He couldn’t compete against humans any longer. Not without the possibility of being uncovered for what he was.
Jacque was surprised the boys had been able to stay in the mainstream school system for so long.
“They were homeschooled their final two years,” Elias added.
“That makes sense.” And, once again, made their stories more believable. Either they were exactly what they presented themselves to be, or they were the best liars he’d ever come across.
Louis opened the door and walked back inside. “Vehicle is parked with ours,” his brother told him. Then he tossed the keys toward Elias, who caught them and slipped them into his pocket. Louis went straight to his mate’s side and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. It was good to see his brother so content.
Jacque rubbed his hand across his chin. He’d made his mind up, but now it was time for his pack to weigh in. “Well?” he asked.
Cole nodded, saying nothing. Gator crossed his arms over his chest and gave a curt nod. Armand looked to Anny, who nodded, before adding his agreement. When he looked to Louis, his brother shrugged. Jacque knew that meant Louis supported whatever he wanted to do.
He didn’t need to ask the women. The way they were staring at the two orphaned young men gave him all the information he needed. They were all in favor.
“Here’s what we’re going to do,” Jacque began. “You can stay here with us for a couple of days and we’ll try things out. See if you can integrate into the pack. The twins will stay here with Gwen and myself. You’ll stay with Gator and Sylvie, as they have the only house with a guest room.”
Elias was already shaking his head. “I won’t be separated from the boys.”
“Take it or leave it.” Jacque wasn’t having them all in the same spot. If Elias was planning something, he might think twice if he didn’t have his nephews with him. No matter what the man’s motives might be, it was obvious he loved the twins.
“It’s okay, Uncle Elias.” Sage looked at his brother and some kind of nonverbal communication seemed to take place. “Reece and I will be fine here.”
Gwen popped out of her chair. “It’s settled then. Why don’t you and Reece go and get your things and bring them inside. I hope you don’t mind sharing a bed. Or you can take turns between the bed and one of the sofas. Up to you.”
“We don’t mind sharing.” It was Reece who made that pronouncement. Jacque had a feeling Reece wouldn’t be letting his brother out of his sight. He didn’t trust the pack. Good, that meant the boy had some sense. He could also shift while Sage couldn’t. Jacque knew he planned to protect Sage if things went bad.
The more time he spent with them, the more Jacque liked the Gallagher family. But there was only one way to get to know a male werewolf. He turned to Elias. “How about we go for a run?”
Elias was torn between staying to protect his nephews and knowing he had to do this if they were going to have the opportunity to stay. He’d expected the alpha to want him to go on a run. It was a way of testing his strength.
Once again, it was Sage who made his decision for him. “We’ll be fine,” the boy reiterated. Sage might not be able to shift, but his nephew was smart. He watched everyone and everything. He’d probably already picked up on pack dynamics that Elias might have missed.
He glanced at Reece, who gave him a slight tip of his head. The boys would stay together. “Okay. Behave,” he warned them.
Gwen smiled as she reached out to take Sage by the arm. “They’ll be fine. Come with me and I’ll show you your room before you get your bags. It used to be Louis’s before he mated and moved into his own place with Gray.” Gwen kept up the stream of pleasant chatter as she led Sage away. Reece followed and Armand was right behind them.
Elias knew at least one of the male werewolves would be with them at all times. Fair enough. He wouldn’t want his nephews living in a pack with lax security.
Jacque jerked his head toward the back door. Elias set down his coffee mug, nodded at the women and followed the alpha. Cole took up his position right behind Elias. It seemed to be the wolf’s favorite spot.
Gator and Louis joined them as well. Joseph stayed behind with the other women.
This was a pack that functioned well together. Jacque hadn’t had to give anyone any orders. Everyone just fell into their assigned roles without having to be asked.
More than an alpha and his pack, this felt like a very protective group of friends. This was exactly the kind of environment he wanted for is nephews.
But there was still one final question that had to be addressed. Elias waited until he was outside with the four men before asking. “I have a question before I leave my boys.” He stood with his hands lose by his sides.
“What?” Jacque asked. The alpha’s jaw tightened and the muscles in his shoulders bunched.
“Sue told us that Anny was attacked and left for dead by a wolf.” He didn’t come right out and ask if any of them had attacked the woman. He didn’t have to.
Gator swore and Louis growled. Cole went completely silent. Elias had grown up in a pack filled with deadly shifters, but he didn’t think he’d met a group of more dangerous men than the ones surrounding him.
“That was a problem with our former pack.” Jacque’s eyes narrowed. “They’re no longer a problem.”
Which meant that this pack had killed whoever had hurt Anny. Elias had no problem with that.
“Do not bring that up around Armand or Anny,” Jacque cautioned.
Elias figured this was his one and only warning. Still, he wasn’t about to back down. “I had to ask. If you’d been the ones to attack her, you wouldn’t be the right pack for us.”
“Fair enough. Now shift.” Jacque had obviously run out of patience.
Elias stripped off his tank top and tossed it over the railing. He toed off his shoes and shucked his jeans. The other men did the same. All except Jacque. He watched Elias with his arms crossed over his chest and an unreadable expression on his face.
Elias enjoyed the warmth of the sun on his skin and then embraced his wolf. The animal jumped to the fore, eager to run. His bones cracked and reformed and he fell forward as his hands and feet became paws. Brown fur pushed out from under his skin. His jaw elongated and his ears grew.
He wanted to howl at the glorious sensation of freedom. His wolf wanted to challenge all the others. He wrestled with his instincts until he had them contained. The last thing he needed was a fight with a member of this pack.
He wasn’t sure he could actually take all of them. Or any of them for that matter. It would be a hell of a fight. They were all big and strong and gave off a vibe that told him they weren’t strangers to fighting to keep what belonged to them.
And Cole was the biggest wolf he’d ever seen. Massive was the word that sprang to mind. Gator was a large black wolf and Louis was covered in shades of brown.
Jacque slowly stripped off his clothes. One second he was tossing aside his jeans, the next he was in mid-air, completely shifted and heading straight at Elias. Elias held his ground, not moving when the alpha landed right in front of him. It was an impressive show of power. The kicker was that Elias didn’t think the guy was intentionally showing off. It was instinct to shift fast and put himself in a position of power.
Elias now knew why such impressive males followed Jacque. Not only was he smart and progressive in his thinking, he was also strong and fast. Elias would wager he was one hell of a fighter.
Jacque jerked his head to one side and the five of them headed toward the woods. E
lias glanced over his shoulder one final time. He hated leaving Sage and Reece, but trust had to start somewhere.
And he wouldn’t leave his nephews if he thought they were in any real danger.
His protective instincts appeased, he gave his wolf free rein. The beast gave a full body shake and began to run. It was an incredible feeling to be a part of a pack, racing through the woods at full speed. He didn’t have to hold back with the men around him. They ran fast and hard. He hadn’t had a run like this since he’d left his pack with Everett all those years ago.
Elias gave himself over to the pleasure and simply enjoyed being what he was—a werewolf.
Chapter Thirteen
“Don’t worry,” Gwen told him. “Your uncle will be fine.”
Reece wasn’t so sure, but he wasn’t about to contradict the woman. She was the alpha female of the pack, and if he wanted to stay, he had to show her some respect. Beyond that, his mother had drilled good manners into him for as far back as he could remember. “Yes, ma’am.”
Gwen sighed. “I know you don’t believe me, but you’re safe here. And call me Gwen. Ma’am makes me feel old.”
Reece grinned in spite of himself. He wished he were out running with his uncle and the others, but he wasn’t about to leave Sage all alone with a bunch of strangers, most of whom could shift into a wolf.
He knew Sage didn’t like the idea that Reece was here to protect him, but tough. His brother was a part of him, the best part. No way would he let anything happen to him. Reece also knew his brother felt exactly the same way and would protect him with his life.
“The room only has one bed, but it’s a king-sized one. And as I said, if you’re more comfortable, you can bunk on the sofas in the living room. It’s up to you.”
“Thank you,” Sage answered while Reece scoped out the room. There was a large window, which meant they weren’t trapped in case of an emergency.
“You’re welcome.” Gwen motioned them back toward the door. One of the male pack members stood there, silently waiting. The guy had some horrible scars on the left side of his face. Armand, yeah, that was his name. Reece was having a hard time keeping everyone straight. Sage was better at that kind of thing than he was.
“I’ll take them out to get their things.” It felt more like a challenge than an offer, but Gwen nodded.
“Thanks, Armand.”
Reece shot his brother a look, but Sage was lost in thought. He knew his brother was cataloguing everything he saw and heard for future use. Sage had always noticed things, but the trait had become more pronounced in the past couple of years. Reece knew his brother did it to compensate for his inability to shift.
The pack members that hadn’t gone running with his uncle were still all in the living room. Reece checked out Anny, curious about the woman who was Sue’s friend. From what Sue had said, and everything he’d overheard, Sue had no idea Anny was living anywhere close.
Reece understood the need for secrecy, but it sucked that Anny couldn’t be with her best friend. He’d hated leaving his friends behind when they’d left Michigan. At least he hadn’t had to leave his best friend behind. Sage was with him.
“Why don’t I go with you?” Anny popped out of her seat and went to her mate. She touched his arm before leading the way.
Reece was glad to be out of the house. It was a nice place, but there’d been too many people and the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. He wasn’t so sure about this plan Uncle Elias had. Reece would have been happy with just the three of them.
But he couldn’t deny the fascination he had with the other men. Other than his father and uncle, he’d never seen another werewolf before. His wolf chuffed inside him, wanting to shift and run.
He reined in the creature, reminding him that they couldn’t leave Sage alone.
He breathed in the warm air, enjoying the smell of the pine trees. It was tangy and sharp. Sweet too. He sniffed again. Flowers of some kind. Reece enjoyed being outside rather than being hemmed in. The ruggedness of the surrounding land called to something inside him, urging him to run. It would be glorious to shift and race through the woods, over and around rocks and streams.
He envied his uncle the freedom to do so. He was stuck here.
He regretted the thought as soon as he had it. Sure enough, Sage met his gaze, and Reece saw that pained understanding in his brother’s eyes. Shit. He hated when he hurt Sage, unintentionally or not. It wasn’t Sage’s fault he couldn’t shift.
His brother could run faster than a human and he’d enjoyed the few times he and Sage had taken off on their own—his brother in human form and he in his wolf. It had been exhilarating being together like that in the wild with the wind rushing over and around them as they ran.
Reece huffed out a breath. It would be a while before they could do something like that. Or maybe not. Maybe they could sneak out tonight for a run. Something to think about.
Anny kept glancing over her shoulder at him and Sage. Reece waited until they were at the SUV with the door open before addressing her. “Go ahead and ask whatever you want,” he told her.
Anny nibbled on her bottom lip. “How are Sue and Billy?”
“They seem fine. Lonely, but they’re doing okay.”
Anny winced but nodded. Reece admitted he wanted to hurt the other woman for walking away from her friend. He liked Sue and Billy. And they needed good people around them. They’d been through a lot.
“Billy is full of life and currently obsessed with dogs.” Sage grinned at Reece. “We can thank my brother for that one.”
Anny gave a small laugh but her eyes were still dark with hurt. Reece felt like an idiot and his stomach churned. “Sue misses you,” Reece offered. “She doesn’t know why you had to leave.”
Anny nodded. “I know. Doesn’t make it any easier.” Armand wrapped his arm around his mate and offered his silent support.
“You two got everything you need?” the big werewolf asked.
Reece grabbed his duffle. Sage had his bag and knapsack. “Yeah.”
“That’s not much.” Anny frowned.
“Most of our stuff is in storage. We didn’t want to bring it in case—” Reece shut his mouth before he said anything to insult these people who were opening their pack to them.
“In case we decided not to stay,” Sage smoothly added. “We knew we’d be camping out. Didn’t make sense to bring everything.”
“I suppose not.” Anny studied Sage and then Reece. “You realize if you stay, you’ll have to keep away from Sue and Billy, don’t you? I don’t want them hurt.”
She was warning them away from her friend. While Reece understood the need, he didn’t like it. A growl escaped him before he could stop himself.
Armand shoved his mate behind him and faced Reece. “You might want to tone that aggression down, son.”
Reece knew the man was right, but the anger that seemed to be a part of him lately, bubbled up inside him. “I’m not your son.”
The hard light in Armand’s eyes softened. He didn’t want the man’s pity or understanding. “No, you’re not. But you are a guest here.”
A guest. That about said it all. They didn’t have a home anywhere. Reece wanted to howl his fury to the world. Why did his parents have to die?
He felt a heavy weight press against his side. He didn’t need to look in order to know it was Sage. His brother’s presence always calmed him. He took a deep breath and then another.
As much as it pained him to admit it, Armand was right. “Sorry,” he muttered.
“I know you’re hurting.” Anny stepped out from behind her mate. “I’m sorry for everything you’ve been through. I can’t say I understand what it’s like to lose your parents, but I do understand what it’s like to lose your home and all that’s familiar.”
“We all know what it’s like to lose our homes,”
Armand interjected. “But in our case, it was a conscious choice. You didn’t have a say in the matter and I’m sorry for your loss.”
Reece didn’t want to like these people, but he couldn’t help himself. He ached to belong somewhere. His parent’s death had left an empty spot inside him that not even his love for his twin could fill. Maybe it was the wolf’s need for a pack. He honestly didn’t know.
He hoisted his bag onto his shoulder. “We should take out stuff inside.”
“I was planning on making some pies this morning.”
Reece turned toward Anny at the mention of pies. “What kind?” His mother had loved to bake.
Anny laughed as she walked alongside her mate. “What kind do you like?”
“Apple.”
“Cherry,” Sage replied at the exact same time.
“Lemon.” Armand nuzzled his mate’s neck.
Her laughter grew. “Looks like I’ll be making quite a few pies. Interested in helping?” she asked them.
Reece knew what she was doing. She wanted to keep them occupied and get them involved with the pack. Darned if it wasn’t working. “Yeah, I’m in.”
His brother nodded as well. “I’d like that.”
“It’s settled then. We’ll drop off your things and then we’ll go to our place and make pies. It’s a smaller home, but I’ve got two commercial-grade ovens and a large workspace.”
But Armand was already shaking his head. “No, ma petite. We go to Gator and Sylvie’s. The kitchen is as good, but their home is bigger. You know the others are going to want to tag along. They won’t want to miss out on your pies,” he teased.
Reece knew that wasn’t the reason. The rest of them wanted to keep an eye on him and Sage. Good enough. If they were all watching him and his brother, that meant his uncle didn’t have to worry about them.
* * * * *
As much as Elias was enjoying himself, he was worried about Sage and Reece. They’d been out running for at least two hours. The pack land was impressive, to say the least. He could understand why they’d settled here. It was good land. Wild and free, yet close enough to a town for supplies. Far enough away from the town so they didn’t get many uninvited visitors.
Wolf on a Mission: Salvation Pack, Book 6 Page 12
