Chapter 10 #2
“You’ve never seen Love Connection?”
He shook his head.
“Oh. I guess it is kind of old. The ladies who worked at the Alpha house watched that game show channel when I was growing up so I was introduced to the classics. Sorry you missed out.”
“Alpha, he’s scaring me.” Claire’s tone had gone from over-the-top fake to genuinely fearful.
“He’s harmless,” Brian said as he shook her off.
“He doesn’t seem harmless.”
“I have to agree with Cringey on this one,” Keith said.
She hid behind Brian.
“Claire, honey, come on out from back there and sit down,” Keith said. “I’m going to do you a favor and show you the right way to seduce a man. I’ve had no trouble getting him into bed and I didn’t have to drug him to do it. We can start with a strip tease.”
“Drug me?” Brian said. “What do you mean?”
“I’ll try not to be offended that you’re showing no interest in the strip tease offer, and that’s a question better directed at our new friend Cringey Claire.” Keith tipped his head toward her. “Claire, why were you trying to drug Alpha Berger?”
Brian looked over his shoulder at the woman still clinging to him. “Did you drug me?”
“No, Alpha, I promise!”
“Want some tea?” Keith walked toward her and held the glass out.
“I didn’t mean any harm, Alpha. I just wanted you to like me.”
“She means the naked and sweaty type of like,” Keith said as he took another step. “You know, the type of like we get up to when we’re alone.” He flicked his gaze to her and grinned menacingly. “Isn’t that right, Claire?”
“Alpha Berger, save me!”
“What did you do?” Brian shouted as he flipped around to face her.
Claire blinked once, twice, and then she turned tail and ran to the door.
“Hey!” Brian yelled.
“Let her go.”
“You said she drugged me.”
“Well, she tried to anyway,” Keith said.
“Then I need to stop her.” Brian started walking away but Keith stepped in his path.
“If we keep her here, they’ll know something’s up.”
“Who?”
“The Ruperts.”
“The Ruperts? Her ancestors are from Purple Sky but she grew up in a pack up North. Today’s her first time in this area. What does she have to do with Rupert Jackson?” Brian asked.
“I don’t know.” Keith shrugged. “That’s why we have to let her leave.” He held the tea up to his nose and sniffed. “That way they’ll make their next move and we can figure it out.”
“Stop that!” Brian put his palm over the top of the glass, blocking him.
“I’m not going to drink it. I just wanted to check if I could identify the scent.”
“If it’s poisonous, you shouldn’t inhale it.”
“It’s not that type of poison,” Keith assured him.
“How do you know?” Brian tugged the tea away.
“She poured something into the glass and sat next to it for a while before you came in. If it was transmitting some sort of killer vapor, she’d be a goner.”
Brian blinked at him a few times, took a deep breath, and then blinked again.
“I’m thinking some sort of aphrodisiac. I don’t suppose you have a lab here that can test that drink?”
Brian parted his lips, tilted his head to the side, and blinked some more.
“I’ll take that as a no.” He bit his lower lip and sighed. “Welp, that leaves us with a couple of options.”
“I have no idea what’s happening. Keith, what is happening?”
“We can either wait for the Ruperts to do whatever it is they plan to do with your hair, or I can go to Green Field now and end this nonsense.”
“My hair?”
Keith nodded.
“Again, what is happening?” Brian asked.
“Cringey Claire was sent here by the Ruperts to do something that involved drugging you. My money is that the something is fucking you. They also prepped a contingency plan that requires your hair, which I’m assuming she got when she was rubbing up against you outside.
Plan A failed so they’re sure to go with Plan B. ”
“How do you know that?”
“I was watching through the dining room window when you were outside and she was all, ‘Alpha, I want your big cock. Please, hot Alpha, look at my huge boobs and suck my nipples.’”
“That…” Brian coughed. “That did not happen.”
He shrugged. “Close enough.”
Brian sighed. “Let’s try to stay on topic. You were watching us and you saw her take my hair? Why would she do that?”
“No idea why and I didn’t realize she was doing it at the time. I saw her feeling you up, but I assumed she was in it for the fun, because, I mean, who could blame her, right? But then later she was talking to herself, and she said she had your hair.”
“Which you know because you were in the dining room watching and listening?”
“Right.” Keith nodded.
“And you recognized her from Green Field?”
He pressed his lips together and shook his head. “I’ve never seen Cringey in my life and she doesn’t smell like pack. She’s not from Green Field.”
“We’ll get back to what you mean about smelling like pack. First, explain how you know the Ruperts sent her?”
“When I sat next to her, I was close enough to get a good whiff and I scented Junior. It was faint, but there. And since he doesn’t even hiccup without his father’s permission, I’m assuming Alpha Jackson’s behind whatever they’ve cooked up.”
“Huh.”
“Yeah.”
Footsteps sounded on the porch.
“Steve’s back,” Keith said.
“Alpha Berger?” Steve said. “Why’s the door open?”
“Claire forgot to close it on her mad dash out of town,” Keith said.
Steve walked into the room and stopped short at the sight of him. “Wow,” he gasped. “You’re out of bed.”
“It’s been almost a month,” Keith pointed out.
“I know but we didn’t think you were going to make it.”
Brian growled.
“Chill.” Keith curled his hand around Brian’s shoulder and squeezed. “I’m all good,” he said to Steve. “Thanks for the assist getting me here. We weren’t properly introduced.” He held his hand out. “I’m Keith Iredell.”
“Steven Sampson.” Steve shook his hand. “Glad you’re alive.” He looked Keith up and down. “And looking remarkably well.”
Brian stepped between them, separating their hands and partially blocking Keith. “Steve, did you know our visitor’s family?” he asked.
“No.” Steve shook his head.
“Then why do you think they’re from Purple Sky?”
“That’s what she told me. She said she had grown up in a pack up North and her abusive ex was buddies with the Alpha so he wouldn’t help her and the ex wouldn’t stop harassing her so she had to escape and she came here because it was her grandparents’ birth pack.
Or maybe she said great-grandparents.” He frowned and then shook his head. “I don’t remember the details.”
“I could hear her driving away in a car. Was it hers or did she take one of yours?” Keith asked as he moved around his mate.
“Now that you say that, I realize her car wasn’t outside when I pulled up,” Steve said.
“So she drove here. What state’s plates were on her car?” Keith asked.
“I don’t know. I didn’t pay attention to that.”
Keith turned to Brian and arched his eyebrows in question.
“I didn’t either,” he admitted. “Steve, go ask some of the elders if they know her family.”
“On it, Alpha.” He started toward the door and then turned around. “What’s her last name?”
Brian frowned. “Didn’t you ask her?”
Steve shook his head.
“So that’s how it is?” Keith said. “Pretty woman shows up with a low-cut top, tight skirt, and ‘be my hero’ storyline and everyone’s brains go on vacation?”
Both men stared at him for a few beats and then Brian wrapped his arms around him. “I didn’t do that.”
He gave him his best disbelieving stare.
“She said she needed help and I wanted to get it handled as fast as possible because you were in the bath and you said we could…” He jerked his gaze over his shoulder to Steve. “Go see what, if anything, you can figure out and text me.”
“Yes, Alpha.” Steve left the room.
“Close the door behind you,” Brian shouted.
The front door clicked shut.
“Glad to hear you were distracted by my ass instead of hers, mate,” Keith rasped.
“I was.” Brian skated his hands down Keith’s back and cupped his butt. “I can barely tell you what she looked like. I wasn’t focused on any details. All I could think about was getting her out of here so I could be alone with you.”
“Sounds like I need to keep you more well-satisfied so you can focus on your work. We have a little time before I have to go to Green Field and stop Rupert Jackson from implementing whatever plan he’s cooking up. Want to get in bed and have some fun with me and my ass?”
“You aren’t going to Green Field,” Brian said insistently.
“Mate, do you want to have this argument again or do you want to fuck me?”
Brian snapped his mouth shut, took Keith’s hand in his, and led him upstairs. At least his priorities were in order. Keith threw his head back and laughed.