Chapter 12
CHAPTER 12
C hance
“You’ve been taking them for years?” I ask Emery as I help her out of my truck.
While Dr. Drake was doing some of his tests with Emery, I took the injured wolf to one of the caves in the mountains, which we sometimes use for ‘interrogations.’
A word my father often used to use to mean torture.
The results of Dr. Drake tests won’t be available until tomorrow at the earliest. So, I’ve brought Emery to our pack’s gathering spot for dinner.
Chael’s home.
Though my brother and his wife are out of town for their honeymoon, the pack still meets here for shared meals.
“Yes,” she says, replying to my question about the iron pills.
It struck me as odd when she asked for the prescription. I wasn’t the only one, as Dr. Drake gave me a curious look when she made the request.
“Dr. Drake asked me what my pills looked like.” She gives me a strange look of her own.
“I told him they were just regular white pills. Anyway, do you think once he gives me the prescription you can take me into town to fulfill it?”
“Yes,” I reply without thinking. “We’ll see once we have the test results back,” I correct. “Right now, it’s dinner time. Ms. Elsie and the rest of the pack have cooked up a feast, I’m sure,” I tell her.
Emery abruptly stops a few feet from the front door of my alpha’s home.
“Everyone?” Her eyes widen as they move from the door to me and back again.
“Yes.”
“I can’t go in there.” Her hands go to her head pushing back nonexistent stray hairs. “I’m a mess.”
I watch as she fixes the already perfectly styled bun. Her hands press the front of her shirt in an attempt to smooth out wrinkles that aren’t there.
Without a word, she turns back to head to my truck.
“Where are you going?”
She says something over her shoulder, but I can’t catch sight of her lips well enough to understand her answer.
So far, Emery hasn’t caught wind of my defect and I plan to keep it that way until we part ways.
My wolf growls in my head as soon as the thought passes my mind. He doesn’t like the idea of her leaving one bit.
I ignore him as I approach Emery. “What are you doing?”
She opens the back door of my truck and starts rummaging through her suitcase.
Instead of answering, she holds up a circle compact. As she opens the compact and looks in the mirror her shoulders slump.
“I look horrible.”
“You’re fucking stunning.”
I’m usually a man of few words. Action is always better than speaking, but reading those words coming off of Emery’s lips inspired me to refute them right here on the spot.
Nothing about this woman that could be deemed horrible.
I don’t even realize what I’ve said until Emery’s eyes widen and her lips part forming an ‘O’ as she stares at me.
Both my human and my wolf groan as I visualize sliding my cock in between those parted lips.
For almost a full minute, neither one of us says anything. On my end, I watch her, unconsciously, committing her perfect features to memory.
I admire her catlike eyes. The way they turn up at the corners. The button shape of her nose and her perfectly full lips. Her bottom lip is slightly larger than the top.
For an instant, the image of me sucking on her bottom lip as she begs me for more crowds my thoughts. My fucking wolf purrs like it’s a goddamn cat instead of a canine.
My throat reverberates when I watch her suck that lip in between her teeth. It takes a beat before I realize I’m growling. Out loud. Not just in my head.
It’s not my wolf.
Emery’s eyelids flutter, but then suddenly her eyes widen. She glances around me.
That’s when I turn toward the front door to see Ms. Elsie, standing at the open door. With the light shining on her combined with my wolf sight, despite the darkness of the night, I can tell she’s asking if we’re coming inside.
“There’s plenty left and I’ve prepared my special corn salad and the grilled meat you love.”
I hold up my hand, letting Ms. Elsie know I see her. She waits a beat but eventually heads back inside.
When I turn back to Emery, she’s busy applying the tiny bit of makeup from her compact to her cheeks. She appears slightly frantic as she drops a makeup brush into the bag and digs through it looking for something else.
I watch her, not because I think she needs to apply makeup, but because I can’t take my eyes off of her.
I watch everything and everyone.
As the main beta and head of protection for my pack, I’ve become the silent watcher, noting others’ movements and intentions even before they do.
My gut tells me Emery’s desire to fix herself and apply makeup comes out of a longing for approval.
To belong or not be judged.
“There,” she says with what looks like a sigh. “At least, I have enough of the basic makeup to look decent. This is as good as it’s going to get for now.”
She passes her hands over her shirt again.
After two attempted attacks, finding out a whole world she never knew about existed, a day of driving, and the lingering fear over her sister’s whereabouts, Emery still does her best to appear put together for others.
I flex and then clasp my hands because the urge to run my fingers through her hair, messing it up, to kiss her lips until they’re swollen and puffy, and watch her writhe beneath me her expression wanton with need, nearly has me tossing her over my shoulder.
I have no fucking idea where this sudden desire comes from. Yes, I’m a man with needs, but never have I desired any woman the way I want Emery.
Want.
That one word brings me back to reality.
It is not for me to want anything or anyone. I go to those women in town because my physical need for touch and sex can get in the way of my thinking when it comes to ensuring my pack’s safety.
And because I know those women would never truly ever consider being mated to a broken wolf like me.
I briefly think about giving Gloria a call soon.
No!
My wolf’s response to that thought resounds through my mind.
“Let’s go,” I say to Emery without giving her another look. To do so, right now, would be dangerous for her and for me.
I stride toward the door leaving Emery to follow behind me, though I’m keenly aware of her nearness. No, I can’t hear her footsteps or her ragged breathing, but the goose bumps trailing up my arms tells me she’s close by. The way my wolf pants like a bitch in heat is also a dead giveaway.
I yank the door open and step to the side, allowing Emery to enter before me. She hesitates as she passes, her gaze locking with mine.
Something happens to my knees as her eyes meet mine. They weaken. Maybe something’s wrong with my tendons. I’ll have to make an appointment with Dr. Drake in the morning.
Maybe it’s just her.
I don’t know where that thought comes from, nor do I give it much time to take root as I pass through the door.
My nose leads me to the kitchen and I place my hand at the small of Emery’s back to guide her in that direction.
As soon as we enter, all movement inside stops. Out of the thirty or so pack members here, they’ve all paused, their attention aimed at Emery and me.
Emery moves into my side. I don’t even realize my arm snaking its way around her waist, holding her to me until I notice Ms. Elsie drop her gaze to where my hand rests.
Instead of releasing her, however, I let my hand splay against her hip.
“This is Emery Clarke,” I tell them. “She’ll be staying with us for a while.”
Forever! m y fucking wolf shouts in my head.
I don’t give them more details than that. As I glance around the room, I notice the raised eyebrows and questioning expressions. Yet, no one rejects or rebuffs my declaration. My pack trusts me with their safety and their lives.
That, I will never take for granted.
Ms. Elsie is the first to move. She approaches us with her usual warm smile. My wolf growls in my chest when I notice her take Emery’s hand.
Both Emery and Ms. Elsie glance at me with curious looks. It’s then I realize then that the growl may not have only been from my wolf.
Apparently, I don’t like seeing other people touch Emery as much as my wolf. Yet, I’ve known Ms. Elsie for the entirety of my life. She’s our pack’s unofficial grandmother. Being jealous of her is just ridiculous.
At least, that’s what I try to tell myself as I watch Ms. Elsie lead Emery out of my embrace toward the long wooden table that has a capacity to seat up to forty people, at once.
“We saved these seats for you two.” I read her lips as Ms. Elsie talks to Emery. “Our alpha is out of town on his honeymoon.” Her face glows as she shares this news with Emery. “We’ve missed Chance while he was away, but so glad that he’s come back with his mate.”
“Is she your mate? Is our beta getting married like our alpha?” Romello, the six-year-old son of one of our members, runs up to me and asks, tugging on my pant leg.
“No,” I reply vehemently without thinking. “Not my mate.” My wolf pouts, but I ignore him.
I don’t notice the room has stopped yet again to stare at me, until I catch gazes with Emery. There’s an emotion in her eyes that causes the muscle in the left-center of my chest to tighten.
Is she hurt?
What caused that look?
Before I can figure out that look, Ms. Elsie approaches me, taking my hand. “I’m sure you’re hungry. Why don’t you have a seat and I’ll make both of your plates?”
I go to tell her that’s not necessary. I don’t like anyone serving me. That’s not my role in this pack. I protect them and follow the orders of my alpha. A part of me wants to excuse myself, shift into my wolf, and complete my nightly walk of the perimeter.
No, there are no immediate threats, but it’s a habit I do every night.
Yet, when I take my seat next to Emery, my hand lightly brushes against hers. Her gaze moves to mine. That odd emotion in her eyes remains, but it’s also accompanied by uncertainty.
She’s feeling out of place. I glean all of that from just one look.
Her eyes quickly drop to the table in front of her.
In that instant, I know I can’t leave her. I’m not going anywhere. Not as long as she’s by my side.
I swallow down the doubt that comes with the implications of these strange feelings.