The sentence hovered over the entire group and not one uttered a complaint against it especially when Whitney stormed off the porch pushing her way through the group.
“Where is Garin?” Whitney demanded eyes shifting to Daya before going back to Dena. “I need to speak to him.”
“He, and a few others, have been called out to deal with a matter,” Dena replied putting a hand on her hip. “What is it that you need to talk with him about?”
Whitney’s mouth tightened, but before she could reply the sound of vehicles approaching alerted them to visitors and Dena swung around startled when Brianna and Daya immediately darted in front of her.
The vehicles pulled into the yard and the wolves immediately surrounded them until the door opened and Trevor stepped out shocking Daya and Brianna.
“Leonardo called and asked for reinforcements,” he stated eyes going over the group. “I gathered as many as I could without leaving my pack defenseless and came.”
“Alpha Trevor,” Dena stepped forward nodding her head when Brianna and Daya immediately moved apart to allow her to go between them. “We appreciate the aid. Leonardo and Ralph already left…”
Trevor nodded his head. “I know. We will join them briefly, but first…”
He nodded his head and the doors opened wolves climbing out, and Daya let out a gasp when Kala slid out of the passenger seat of the first vehicle walking over to hug Dena while Jaime and Kelsey climbed out from another.
Jaime going to Paul who had stayed behind at the last minute which now could be explained, and Kelsey rushed over to Brianna and Daya.
“What’s the first thing we do?” Kelsey asked after giving them hugs, and Brianna laughed meeting Daya’s eyes.
“We get the infirmary ready,” Brianna ordered when the laughter died down nodding her head to Dena. “Their pack doctor is already busy, so we will take up the slack for her.”
“I heard that,” Dena called back throwing them a sharp look.
“Yes, Alpha Female.” They chorused together before going into the house, and Kala chuckled watching them.
Dena shook her head an answering smile settling on her own features. “They are something together,” she remarked quietly studying the members around them.
“They are,” Kala agreed doing the same eyes landing on Trevor who came toward them.
“We are going to join the others,” he told them giving Kala a brief kiss one hand lightly going over the small mound of her belly. “I promised Leonardo that we wouldn’t interfere unless needed, but I don’t trust this man and I rather be there on hand.”
Dena nodded her head a low growl erupting from her lips. “He is underhanded,” she agreed meeting Trevor’s eyes. “Thank you.”
Trevor grinned and nodded his head before turning, and gathering those who were going, they shifted and darted off into the woods in the same direction the others had gone almost twenty minutes before their arrival.
Kala put an arm around Dena watching her mate disappear into the night.
“They will be back,” she assured her.
“I know.” Dena allowed herself to be turned stilling when they came face to face with Whitney who was confused and at the same time, fury vibrating through her.
“I am an Alpha Female,” she retorted angrily. “I deserve the right to know what is going on.”
Dena didn’t respond walking past her heading into the house, but Kala had stopped eyes studying the woman in front of her.
“An Alpha Female puts her pack first,” Kala remarked without raising her voice. “They sense when something isn’t quite right and asks the right questions to understand the situation. There has been tension around the pack house all day if I’m not mistaken. Did you pick up on it?”
“Why should I?” Whitney snapped tossing her hair over one shoulder.
“Because as you’ve claimed, you are an Alpha Female,” Kala shot back without being polite. “As an Alpha Female, it just not your duty to look beautiful and spend money. Your job is also to step into the role of leader when your mate is gone which means you have full responsibility of the pack when he isn’t here.”
“This isn’t his pack,” Whitney argued, but Kala sensed that the young woman was uneasy since n her mind, she had believed being an Alpha Female met passing on the responsibility to others.
“Whether or not it is his pack, you are staying here,” Kala spoke harshly eyeing her. “You should offer your aid to the Alpha Female of the pack not demanding you see one of the fighter wolf’s who is offering his own aid.”
With a mere shake of her head, Kala walked away muttering under her breath although the words were more than clear.
“Unworthy of Garin.”
Whitney’s eyes narrowed on Kala’s back unaware of the members around her who were watching her rage on their faces.
“We shall see.”
Her own words echoed around the yard before she followed Kala into the house still unaware of members who shook their heads and muttered amongst themselves knowing the she-wolf had no idea of what was about to befall her.
Chapter 22
The sun was high in the sky, the air flowing softly through the windows in a comfortable breeze, and yet the tension in the pack house was high.
Those members whose wolves went out trembled since they were connected with their mates, but surprisingly enough, Whitney didn’t seem to be suffering such issues sitting on the couch one leg crossed over the other.
Daya studied her for a second before shifting her gaze to Kala who was standing with them along with Dena who was gripping her hands with worry although her face was calm.
“I don’t understand why she isn’t showing any signs of concern or worry,” Daya muttered. “She is mated to Alpha Ralph…”
“She doesn’t care,” Kala replied not bothering to lower her voice. “I’m sure she is feeling his emotions, but since she isn’t concerned about him, they are not effecting her.”
“I care about Ralph,” Whitney said from the couch hearing their words. “But since he isn’t my mate, my worry and concern is focused on another.”
Her gaze met Daya’s directly, and Daya paled but she didn’t break contact with the she-wolf who eventually got tired of the game and turned away.
Whitney hadn’t cared if her admission was heard, and someone darted into the room a second later his face pale while his eyes were dark with anger.
“You told me that you loved our Alpha that’s why you wouldn’t sleep with me anymore,” he argued in a tight voice.
“Please,” Whitney waved her hand in dismissal. “Ralph barely shared my bed except for occasionally and although I enjoined those rare occasions, I’ve had better. Garin for example.”
Daya stiffened where she was leaning against the wall feeling Whitney’s gaze on her again.
“He knows how to make a woman feel so good,” she stressed one hand going down her body.
“That’s enough.” Dena’s voice was low, but the order was recognizable. “Be a little more respectful, Whitney, since you are still mated to Alpha Ralph.”
Whitney went to respond before she closed her red lips and shrugged her shoulders although the smirk she shifted again to Daya was obvious for all to see.
“When this day is over, Alpha Female,” the man stressed with a touch of mockery, “I’m sure you will get exactly what you deserve.”
“I always do,” Whitney murmured giving him a coy smile although the eyes that landed on him were cold.
Shaking his head, he stormed out of the room and Kelsey leaned over whispering to Brianna and Daya.
“His pride is hurt, but he didn’t look as if she broke his heart.”
Brianna and Daya gave her a brief look while Dena nodded her head in agreement.
“You can’t break someone’s heart if they can tell you never really wanted it in the first place,” Kala uttered.
It was last words they said as the day moved on and night was falling again when Daya said t
iredly worry pulling at her.
“I’m going upstairs to the infirmary,” she said quietly. “I want to go over things one more time.”
“Daya, the infirmary is …” Kelsey began, but stopped when Brianna put a hand on her arm.
“Go ahead, Daya.”
Daya nodded her head giving a brief smile of appreciation before she headed out of the room grateful that Whitney had left sometime earlier.
“Brianna, the infirmary is more than ready to accept any injured wolves,” Kelsey argued.
“Can you feel Jaime, Kelsey?” Brianna asked without lowering her voice. “I can feel Alec, and although he is tired and he did take a hit, he is safe.”
Understanding had Kelsey paling eyes going to the doorway where Daya disappeared. “Daya doesn’t have that connection,” she mumbled in shame. “She doesn’t know if Garin is alright, if he is hurt…”
“If he is alive,” Kala finished a spasm of pain shooting across her face.
“Right now, with the exception of maybe one or two others, Daya is the most worried and afraid,” Dena added her own face filled with worry. “She has no clue what is going on with Garin.”
Daya slowly went up the stairs her mind whirling with questions and fear that Garin wouldn’t be coming back to her.
“I wouldn’t expect Garin to be coming back to you.” A snide voice uttered repeating the words running through her mind, and Daya looked up to see Whitney standing at the top of the staircase.
Daya took the last few stairs and met her at the top warily watching the she-wolf.
“Once he realizes that I’m breaking the mate bond with Ralph and I’m his for the claiming, you will be nothing more than a distant memory,” Whitney proclaimed with a smirk. “You were a mere diversion for him to hide his feelings for me, but I’ve decided that I was wrong in rejecting my mate.”
“I see,” Daya replied her voice lacking any emotion brown eyes shifting over the other woman’s face. “I thought you wanted to be an Alpha Female.”
Whitney rolled her eyes a scowl settling on her face. “Being an Alpha Female is boring although I love having everyone fawn on me,” Whitney replied her voice carrying downstairs although she wasn’t aware of it. “Who cares what happens to the pack members, and I don’t see why I should. Although I don’t like the fact Garin is a fighter wolf, but at least he is one of the top fighter wolves and as such, I will be respected for being his mate. All the respect I deserve without the responsibility. If only I had known that when I rejected Garin, then I probably would’ve never done it and we would be happy together in our old pack.”
Whitney smiled forgetting all about Daya who was standing there watching her.
“It’s not too late. I’m still in contact with members from our old pack. I’m sure that Garin and I will be welcomed back with open arms.”
Without a word, Whitney turned and swept back to her room while Daya watched before slowly shaking her head turning in the opposite direction to the infirmary before she stopped outside Garin’s door.
She opened the door and walked inside closing it behind her. Walking over to the bed, Daya slowly lowered until she was sitting on the edge before she crawled up onto it settling in the middle and curling up.
“As long as he comes back safe and is happy,” she whispered in the silence of the room remembering Garin’s words, but that was before Whitney’s admission and Daya wasn’t sure if Garin’s decision would be the same once he heard it.
Ralph stood breathing heavily blood running down his face, but his gaze was direct on the man who was standing in front of him bleeding just as much as he was.
His eyes were narrowed and he was snarling. “What makes you unnatural beings so special?”
“Unnatural or not, we are still beings,” Ralph replied his voice harsh. “The only difference between you and me is that I don’t condone the fact you are an evil bastard.”
The man snarled again and attacked Ralph who caught the man by the throat lifting him up into the air which shocked the man.
“We, also, are devoted to our mates and don’t appreciate it when they are threatened,” Ralph growled before he tossed him as if he was tossing a single can in the trash.
The man landed in a crumble form some feet away and the wolves around him growled in anger, but they were outnumbered along with the fact Ralph’s supporters were better trained and stronger.
When they were all defeated most of them dead while few were allowed to escape severely injured, Ralph turned to a small pixie woman with reddish brown hair and sparkling green eyes that were wide in a matured face although still very pretty.
Ralph took a few steps toward her and stopped when she jerked back fear filtering across her face.
“Natasha,” Ralph uttered in a defeated voice. “I’ve been searching for you.”
The woman’s green eyes seem to go even wider and she hesitated before slowly stepping toward him.
“Ralph,” she whispered eyes going over his features. “Is that you?”
Ralph let out a guttural cry before he snatched her up against him crushing her tears flowing down his face without hesitation unworried about how it looked to the men around him.
“Oh, Goddess, I never thought I would see you again.” Ralph choked out closing his eyes and nestling his head in her nape. “It has been three years and I haven’t forgotten you for one second during that time.”
She trembled in his arms tears sliding down her face before arms wrapped around him and she broke out in sobs.
“I’m sorry,” she cried. “I was nervous about our mating and I needed to get away, but someone followed me and when I woke up, I didn’t know who I was. It wasn’t until last year that I remembered, but then I was told you had mated with another and I didn’t want to disrupt your life if you were happy.”
Ralph tightened his arms. “I marked another because I hoped it would make you come back to me,” he told her in a hollow voice. “I didn’t know that you were in an accident so I thought you just didn’t want me.”
She was shaking her head and mumbling brokenly, but Ralph merely tightened his hold listening to her ramblings without interrupting. He understood what she was trying to tell him although the words were a jumble mess.
Leonardo turned catching the other eyes and growled getting their attention tilting their head so the couple could have some privacy.
He started to walk away and the others followed him with Garin’s wolf stood still briefly watching Ralph, and his mate, blue eyes steady and direct.
“Garin.”
At the sound of his name, Garin’s wolf whipped around to meet his Alpha’s eyes who was regarding him intensely.
“It’s time to go home.”
Garin gave a growl filled with delight, and he heard the laughter that floated through the pack link.
About time, Alec’s voice echoed sarcastically, but Garin didn’t have to worry about a retort since the others did it for him.
Look who is talking.
The laughter floated back to him along with a gruff response from Alec.
Garin glanced back to Ralph.
“He is being protected and we won’t go far until he is ready to leave.”
Trevor told him getting a nod from Garin before he joined them.
Twenty minutes later, Ralph walked over escorting his mate where Garin and the others waited. They had already shifted back to their human form and briefly dressed when they approached.
“Thank you.” Ralph’s mate uttered slightly nervous, but otherwise she was polite and gave them all a soft smile.
The smile shifted when she noticed a few of the members were injured and after a brief touch on Ralph’s arm, she hurried to offer her assistance.
Leonardo and Trevor shared a look before turning to Ralph who wore a proud smile on his face.
“A true Alpha Female offers to help,” he murmured, and Leonardo chuckled while Trevor slapped him on the back.
“Let’s get going,”
Leonardo called out. “We have injured to attend to and I know many are ready to return home…to their own packs.”
A cheer went up and Ralph chuckled. “I think it is time,” he uttered shifting his gaze to Leonardo.
“Yes, it is.”
It was the only thing said before they started heading out some shifting back to scout ahead while some of the others provided patrol from behind them.
The rogues and the hunter were no longer an issue, but it didn’t mean that they dropped their guard.
Arriving back at the house, they were greeted by Kala and Dena who were waiting on the front porch for them along with many other pack members.
“Take the injured up to the infirmary,” Dena ordered immediately. “Brianna has it ready for them.”
“Yes, Alpha Female.”
There was a chorus before a handful headed inside assisting their injured while the others bowed in respect before going to their mates who stood waiting on the porch.
Leonardo let out a loud sigh and Dena gave him a swift look which turned to a look of relief.
“Why don’t we go inside so everyone can get something to eat?” She suggested to which Kala nodded her head in agreement one hand resting on the bugle of her stomach.
Ralph escorted Natasha into the house with the others following. Alec, Garin and Paul came up in the rear sharing looks, but they didn’t utter a word.
Once inside, Kala and Dena hugged their mates before they turned to Natasha who flushed under their searching looks.
“Why don’t we go to the kitchen to talk,” Dena advised with a smile holding out her hand. “I’m Dena, and this is Kala.”
“Natasha,” she answered softly with a touch of bravado which earned her nods of approval.
“I’m sure you gentlemen have things to talk about,” Kala suggested turning her eyes to Trevor who took the hint.
“Yes, we do,” he agreed meeting Leonardo’s eyes before turning to Ralph. “We should go into Leonardo’s office, Ralph, because there is a lot we need to discuss.”
His Wolf's Choice Page 28
