Chapter 42
Chapter Forty-two
Parker
“There,” I say, stabbing a finger into the map along the southernmost border of our pack lands.
“That's where that dickhead is going to push the boundary.
It's the perfect place to hide what he's going to try to do and it's far enough out of the way that patrols wouldn't notice anything small.
Send a team out there. Tell them to keep their presence small, invisible if possible.
They'll report back and then we can set the trap.”
Danner nods. “I'll send Kasey. They're good at invisible. What about –“
Whatever he was about to say dies in his mouth when Genie throws the door open so hard that it slams against the wall and bounces back towards her.
She shoves the door again when it nearly bounces off of her and stalks up to me.
She grabs my shirt, then yanks me up out of my seat and back out the door.
I stumble behind her, trying to regain my balance as she drags me down the hall and out the back door.
“Genie,” I start. “Wait a minute. Did something happen?”
She stops suddenly and turns, using my shirt to jerk me down to my knees in front of her; and I realize three things all at once.
She's not wearing anything under the very white, very thin, very damp tee-shirt she's wearing.
People are watching us. A lot of people. From their porches. From behind curtains. From their lawns. Lots of watching and smirking.
And Genie is in heat. Not a spike. Not a build up. Full, potent heat.
The sweet scent might not affect me the way it's going to affect Cross, but fuuuuck. I draw in her pheromone-laden scent deeply, my nostrils flaring, and my cock swells and hardens instantly, painfully. My eyes meet hers and find no color, only blown pupils and burning need.
“Get Cross,” I bark the order at anyone within earshot. I stand up quickly, scooping her up into my arms and pulling her tight against my chest. “It's alright,” I tell her gently. “I've got you. Just hold on to me.”
She whimpers against my shoulder as I start running towards the cabin.
Her nest is ready for her. Cross and I have worked hard to prepare it every day since we've been here.
We've gathered more supplies in case she wants to add some things herself, but it's ready and waiting.
She doesn't know we did it. We were planning to show her once it was finished, but things kept happening, and now she's in heat.
I hope someone finds Cross and he gets there just after we do.
He'll be disappointed if he doesn't get to see her reaction.
She starts squirming and whining, digging her nails into my skin and I hold her tighter.
She's so hot against me and her shirt is drenched with sweat.
Whose shirt is this? Neither me or Cross packed any white shirts.
How long did it take her to find me? Possessive, jealous anger starts sizzling in my veins at the thought that someone was near her, touching her, giving her a fucking shirt, while she's in heat.
Who would dare? They all know... Everyone knows that. ..
She whimpers again, shrinking in on herself and clinging to me, and I finally hear the menacing growl emanating from my very bones. “Genie,” I say, swallowing against the vibration. “Who does this shirt belong to?”
She whimpers again, the sound small and muffled against the material she still has clenched in her fist, but she doesn't answer and that makes me even angrier.
Visions start racing in my mind of someone, one of the unmated mother fuckers in this pack, running her down and taking advantage and putting his shirt on her when she was just trying to get to her mate.
I stop and look down into her damp, flushed face.
“Genie,” I bark, forcing a command that I didn't know I possessed into her name.
“Who does this shirt belong to? Tell me. Right. Now.”
She looks up at me with wide eyes, blinking rapidly. “Me. For sleep.” Then she buries her face back against my chest.
I believe her. I have to believe her. I let jealousy and rage take over for just a moment. I can't be irrational. That's Cross's department. I take a steadying breath and start moving again. “Okay. It's okay. We'll be there soon.”
She just nods and clings, trusting me to take care of her. That slams into me harder than anything else. This is my job. My duty. My honor. Mine.
Ours, my wolf chimes in and I accept the weight of his declaration. My wolf is generally relaxed, happy to do what needs to be done, happy as long as his pack is happy. He never asserts himself, has never claimed anything or anyone as his own.
Ours, he repeats. Mine. Yours. Ours.
She's Cross's mate, I remind him. The Goddess –
He snarls, dominant and determined, making me stumble. Our Goddess blessed us all. She is mine as much as she is yours and his. Do not deny me.
Genie's hand comes around my back to grasp my shoulder and she makes a sound that can only be described as a gentle rumble as she nuzzles me softly.
It feels natural. It feels right for her to be in my arms, as if she's always meant to be there.
The understanding catches in my chest and my eyes widen with the wonder of it.
I don't know how Cross is going to feel about or handle this epiphany.
He could take my newfound possession as a challenge; or worse, a threat.
I don't want to fight Cross. I don't want it to be a challenge.
I want it to be the way we planned it. Except now.
.. now she's mine and I can't take that back.
It's not a challenge, my wolf says, giving the impression of laying down on his side. It's how it's supposed to be. He won't fight it. He knows the truth of it. We belong to each other, all three. Take her back to the nest and breed her. That's what our mate needs.
He's insane. Breed her? Are you out of your mind? I am not going to breed her.
His laughter echoes in my head. You will. He will. We all will.
I don't argue with him anymore. I can't breed Genie. She's in heat, the only thing she needs is Cross's big, fat knot. I'm just glad he finally has somewhere to plant the damn thing.
We have a knot.
I stumble again. We most definitely do not. That's something I would be aware of, don't you think?”
He stretches forward, digging his claws into the space in front of him. We didn't need it before. Breed the female. The pack needs pups.
Breed the fucking female. The pack needs pups. My head is going to explode. I do not have a knot.
We're almost to the cabin when a thought startles me.
When Cross would go into rut, and whenever Genie was in heat, when they were still separate, I wouldn't let him fuck me.
My wolf wouldn't let Cross's wolf fuck him, either.
Is this why? What? A fucking dormant knot?
That's completely absurd and unheard of.
Late bloomers are one thing, but dormant designations among males are different.
I turn inward again. Hey.
My Goddess, he huffs. What now?
How do we have a knot? Why do we have one?
The distinct impression of how stupid he thinks I am washes over me, but I don't care.
Alphas have knots. We have lived as an enforcer and Second because that is what suits us. We don't want to be in charge of anything. Our purpose is our Luna. She is our responsibility. Cross can handle our pack. We can handle our mate.
This is too much. My head is spinning. It makes sense in a very fucked way. It would explain the connection between me and Cross. It would explain so many things. Is Cross our mate? Are you telling me that they are both our mate?
He yawns. You can claim each other now. The time is right. She will mark you and that will be the link. Stop wasting time with questions and stupidity. Take our female to her nest and breed her until she's full of our pups.
Slow rolling, pure elation begins to swell inside me. Cross is going to be my mate. After everything. After all the hurt and anger and pain. He's mine. And I get Genie, too. I get everything I ever wanted and more. I get more.