Two #2
“Thanks,” I mumbled. I didn’t tell him I’d done it myself. I didn’t want to share that. Instead I pulled my seat belt on as he closed the door.
On the way down the mountain back to the road, they both tried to give me a quick tutorial on how to greet their alpha.
There was something about not touching him before he touched me, which included offering him my hand.
I wasn’t supposed to turn my back on him, that was considered rude, or look him directly in the eye.
What they didn’t know about me was that I’d met many alphas in my life, and once they met me, they normally steered clear.
I wasn’t worried. But I did have a different issue to address.
“Fletcher.”
He turned to look at me over his shoulder.
“Did you have a talk with your alpha about Desta?”
“That’s what you’re most concerned about right now?”
“The people who work for me are my family, so…yeah.”
There was a quick clearing of his throat. “I haven’t yet, no. But I will.”
“Make sure you do.”
“What’re you two talkin’ about?” Reggie asked him.
“Just don’t worry about it,” Fletcher muttered.
When Reggie turned left onto the road, I asked them why I couldn’t have gone to see the alpha the following morning.
“Because Narah got freaked out, and now Abel is upset.”
“Who’s Narah?”
“She’s his mate and also our healer. She’s skilled in taking care of wolves, and she worked as a nurse in a human hospital for many years.”
“And I’m needed why?”
No answer.
“It’s a simple question, I’m thinking,” I told them.
Reggie cleared his throat. “You said that if we tried to hunt on your land, basically, we wouldn’t be able to.”
“I did, yes.”
“Yes?” Fletcher turned around to look at me. “That’s all you have to say?”
“I warned you, you chose to ignore me, so what is it you expect me to say?” I tried not to sound frustrated.
I was tired, which I never used to be, but I’d found, over time, that I’d fallen into the same circadian rhythms that governed everything else.
I wasn’t nocturnal anymore, nor was I constantly vigilant, as it was no longer warranted.
“There were six altogether, Merritt, that crossed your land, but only five wound up unconscious. Cole’s little brother, Evan, wasn’t affected.”
“Who’s Cole?”
“He’s Justin’s cousin, our alpha’s nephew.”
“So both he and Evan are the alpha’s nephews,” I stated for clarity. I liked to know things.
“Yeah.”
“But Evan was fine and the other five were out cold.”
“Yep. And as soon as they passed out, they shifted back into humans—naked humans, I might add, on the edge of your property.”
“Why’d you say it like that?”
“What?”
“You said ‘naked humans’ like that’s weird.”
“Did I?”
“Yeah, ya did.” Fletcher backed me up. “You always emphasize weird shit.”
“Can you two just—why didn’t Evan pass out?” Reggie asked irritably.
“I suspect he wasn’t hunting,” I stated flatly.
“But he was with them.”
“It doesn’t matter. The barrier reads hearts and minds, not what actions appear to be.”
“That’s some barrier.”
“Again, I warned you.”
“Yes, you did,” Reggie agreed.
“Well, all six boys, not one of them older than sixteen, were hunting a buck, planning to rip it apart when they caught it, which was stupid. I mean, we’re wolves, but we don’t eat raw meat.
The kill would have had to be carried back to the main house and…
I don’t know. We’re from Manhattan; we have no idea what to do with a dead deer. ” Fletcher sighed.
Kids out in the forest pretending to be apex predators. What could go wrong?
“But Evan was going to stop the others. That’s why he was following.”
“Which, again, is why he didn’t pass out,” I said.
“Poor Evan. When the others hit the dirt, he thought they were dead. He came tearing back to where we all were, camping out after running, shifted, and told us the others had all been killed by something he couldn’t see.”
“You’re telling me that you have wolves in your pack who can’t tell if something is dead or alive even when they’re shifted to their animal form?”
No answer.
“Seriously?” I was astounded. “Did someone at least teach them basic skills so they don’t get themselves lost in the forest?”
Still nothing from either of them.
“Are you kidding?”
“Fuck,” Reggie grumbled.
“What you’re telling me is you have people out running around in wolf suits in the mountains and not one of you can actually hunt or track.”
“That’s correct,” Fletcher confessed.
I huffed softly. “Did it occur to you that being out in the middle of nature, it might be a good idea to have everyone know how to survive?”
“Abel was sure our instincts would kick in.”
“I see,” I said, trying to keep the sarcasm out of my voice.
“Fuck you, Merritt. We screwed up, all right?” Reggie grumbled at me.
“All of that was brought up this evening. We had several kids get lost out there. David Hawes fell into a ravine, another guy rolled his ankle, and we lost Patrice Collins for an hour and finally found her in a ditch. It took five pack members to get her out.”
“Was she hurt?”
“No, just really mad that no one heard her howling or screaming.”
I couldn’t help laughing.
“It’s not funny.”
“It’s hysterical is what it is,” I assured him. “You moved city folk to the country and just expected everyone to know what to do?”
“Abel said—”
“Shifters are still people inside. If the person you are can’t track, then the wolf you become can’t either. How do I know that and your alpha doesn’t?”
Neither of them said a word.
“It’s really lucky that those boys didn’t actually catch that deer, because an enraged two-hundred-pound buck fighting for its life with antlers and hooves could have really hurt them.”
“That has been discussed as well.”
“It’s too bad it wasn’t discussed before.”
“No one was hurt.”
“That’s just dumb luck because they crossed over onto my land.”
“Yes, we know, but listen—once Evan got back, we all got onto our ATVs because we’d already shifted back and we needed to be in human form to help.”
I wasn’t going to argue that they couldn’t have helped in either form.
“Do you know what happened the moment we got the boys off your land?”
Of course I did. “They woke up.”
“They woke up,” Reggie repeated.
“Probably not all at once, right? A couple woke up easy, and maybe one guy woke up screaming and yelling, and another one cried.”
“Yes,” Reggie barked at me. “What the hell?”
“Everybody’s different.”
“It was wild,” Fletcher muttered.
“But they’re all fine now, right?”
“Yes, but—”
“And the alpha’s mate would like a word with me, correct?”
“Yes, she would.”
“Got it.” At least I was up to speed now.
Apparently, after the boys came around, camp had been broken down and everyone had returned to the alpha’s home, which was their meeting house, big house, lodge, whatever they were calling it.
The house, when we reached it, was great, if an enormous log cabin was your vibe.
The cedar was a nice choice, as with all the rain we got, wood rot could have been a concern if they’d used something like oak or pine.
It had never been my preference, which was why the outside of my home was made of limestone and glass and the inside of opalized wood.
But it was big, and they had an enormous deck out front, complete with fans for the summer, and now heaters for the fall, and wide steps leading up from the stone walkway.
They had already completed the landscaping outside as well.
When I got out, there were people already there—twenty-four men and a woman.
The men had all positioned themselves on the six long stairs, two on each end, and the woman was standing alone at the top, waiting, it seemed, until a tall man, I was guessing six-four, came out of the lodge and joined her.
He put his arm out and she took it, slipping her hand into the crook of his elbow as they walked to the edge of the deck.
Didn’t want to come down, I was guessing, until they knew whether I was dangerous or not.
I remained next to the SUV as more people came from different directions, all wrapped up in winter coats, scarves, and beanies. I didn’t move, waiting for Reggie and Fletcher, as Justin and a man I didn’t know walked out to the top of the stairs, flanking the couple.
Justin was an undeniably gorgeous man, and I was guessing he knew that. And yes, he was the alpha’s son, but people wouldn’t throw themselves at him left and right, as both Reggie and Fletcher had told me that first day I met them, if he weren’t beautiful.
The guy with him was not beautiful, but he had a good face, a ruggedly handsome one, and his eyes were a deep, dark charcoal, fringed with thick lashes.
He looked like he might be related to Justin, perhaps his cousin, but where Justin had dark golden hair, this man’s was more dirty blond, as was the stubble on his face.
He was also built big, with broad shoulders and a wide chest, and with how his clothes were clinging, it was obvious he was covered in sculpted muscle.
As I had a definite type, and he was it, I looked away quickly before he could catch me staring, giving the alpha my attention as he told Reggie and Fletcher to bring me to him.
I didn’t love that. Like “bring the prisoner closer.” But I kept my mouth shut as Fletcher and Reggie flanked me and walked me to the bottom of the stairs.
Once there, I was forced to look up at the alpha and his mate.
This was all posturing, but it was fine.
It was a wolf thing. All the others I’d met over my lifetime were the same way.