Chapter Ten
“Jared won’t want to challenge Voss,” I told Zach when he asked. “If he does, he’ll win that challenge and inherit himself a big problem.”
“Voss’s pack,” Zach said.
“Yeah. Unlike Voss, Jared has no desire to extend his territory across the US. Imagine the challenges he’d face then. He already took on Adam Thorne’s pack. He’s not going to Colorado or bringing another pack into Jakeston just because one asshole doesn’t know how to stay in his own lane.”
“So he’s hoping Voss will just give up and go back home?” Remy asked, an eyebrow cocked. “That doesn’t sound like Jared. He doesn’t have to kill him to kick his ass out of his territory.”
I grinned. “And that’s exactly what he’ll do.
There can be fights without challenges. Challenges come with consequences.
Fights just…send a message. If Jared happened to die…
” I had to take a moment for a deep breath after I forced the word out of my mouth.
“If he happened to die, then Jared’s beta would take over his pack. ”
“No, he wouldn’t,” Sam said. “You would.”
I sighed. “Yeah. I guess I would.”
Lucy rushed in from the kitchen. “Two cars just pulled in,” she said, as though we wouldn’t know. The hounds were braying, the car engines were as audible as the tires crunching on gravel, and we were sitting by the big picture window watching their arrival. “And,” she added, “lunch is ready.”
Sam went to her and pulled her into his arms. “You smell great,” he murmured, nuzzling her throat.
She giggled and then touched his face, her body visibly relaxing. “Come into the kitchen. Let’s get you fed before…”
He raised his eyebrows. “Before what, hmmm?”
“Before Kait eats it all.”
“Hey,” I said, moving Ash off my lap so I could get up to open the door, “I don’t eat that much.” My stomach growled—loudly—before the words were out of my mouth.
Then my alpha was filling up the doorway, and I forgot about food. He was the only thing I was hungrier for.
Doctor Hayes and Belinda stood beside him, and three of Jared’s wolves stood behind them all. “Come in,” I said, then was nearly knocked over by one of the hounds who’d decided he’d spent enough time outside.
As the doctor began to work on Remy and Zach, Jared and I walked side by side to the kitchen. His hand brushed mine and it felt like my entire arm caught fire.
“Hungry?” I asked him.
His stare, always fierce and always hot, at least when he was looking at me, dropped to my lips. “Starving.”
Jared could fill me up in a way food couldn’t touch, and for a second, I considered ignoring everything else and taking him to my bed. Unfortunately, the issue of Gavin Voss needed to be sorted.
Lucy rushed into the kitchen, Sam behind her. “Can your wolves come in and have some lunch?” she asked Jared.
“No,” he told her. “They’ll stay on guard.”
“Then I’ll take them all a plate.” And so saying, she bustled about the kitchen, loading a huge tray with food for Jared’s warriors, who, though they’d likely already had their lunch, would never turn down food.
Sam watched her with a tiny smile, and there was genuine happiness in his eyes. He needed people to care about him, and now, with Lucy, and Jared and Shadowfield and me and Silverwood, he had that.
Even if it was hard for him to believe.
Zach and Remy, their wounds tended, followed Ben and Belinda into the kitchen.
Ben waved away my invitation to lunch. “We need to get back, dear. I’d like to see how your wounds are healing, but I know you’re not about to take time for that.”
I laughed. “I’m healing fine, Ben.”
After they left, the rest of us gathered around the table to eat and talk about the Ironridge alpha. Gavin Voss was very nearly enough to put me off my food, and that was saying something.
“He said he doesn’t fight women,” I told Jared, curling my lip. “So I guess he’s just going to stand there and take it when I’m beating the hell out of him.”
“What did he want?”
I shrugged. “Maybe to see what he was up against.” I hesitated, then, “He has some misguided notion that he needs to avenge Adam and retrieve the former Stone Moon pack, even if he has to kill you and take your people and territory to do it.”
“He thinks that because Kait’s a woman,” Remy said, “she’s not responsible for what happened with Thorne. That’s on you.” He shoved his chair back and stood. “I’m heading out. Call me, Kait. I’ll be close.”
I nodded. “Thanks, Remy.”
“He asked Kait to be his mate,” Sam said, as Remy left the kitchen.
Immediate rage lit Jared’s eyes.
“He’s learned enough about us to know I already have a mate,” I said. “He doesn’t want to play by pack rules.”
“I’m going after him,” Jared said. That was all he said, but the threat was in his voice. He was done with Gavin Voss. He’d either run him out of Jakeston, or he’d put him in the ground. He would not let Voss take Adam Thorne’s former pack.
They were his pack now.
“I’m going with you,” Sam said. He took a sip of coffee. “I don’t need to play by pack rules, either.”
“When?” I asked, a little worried despite knowing Jared’s strength.
“I’ll send scouts to find out where he’s staying,” Jared said. “Then I’ll go encourage him to leave Jakeston.”
“And to take the teeth you knock out with him,” Sam said, and he and Zach shared a laugh.
I hid a yawn behind my fingers, my thoughts a little sluggish.
Jared stood immediately and held out his hand. “Let’s get you to bed.”
I felt like I hadn’t slept for days, and not even a wolf could stay awake forever.
But with my alpha taking me to my bed, I was nearly certain sleep wasn’t coming anytime soon.
And I was good with that.