Indicating my father with a jerk of my chin, I stated, “Makayla, meet my father, Hawk Calder. Former alpha of the Silver Lake Pack.”
Then I gestured to Makayla. “Dad. This is my, uh,mate.” My jaw clenched a little too hard on the word. There’d been no way of keeping our destined relationship a secret. We’d just have to deal with the whispers and assumptions for the next couple of days. At least it kept other males from sniffing around her. Killing packmates wouldn’t garner me any favors.
My father nodded, his nose rising in a subtle inhale as his eyes roamed over her neck, looking for my mark. When he found no trace of my scent or bite on her, his focus returned to me, and it seemed as if his disappointment had only grown.
“Nice to meet you,” Makayla said, seizing my father’s focus once more. “I wish it were under better circumstances. But I’m only here to help Alaric take down the bad guys. Then I’m off to do what I do.”
My wolf protested at her declaration, growling and pacing in frustration. I agreed with him, but for different reasons. I might not want Makayla as a mate, but nor did I wish to spend my life like a monk.
I cleared my throat. “Makayla isn’t a Bitten wolf. She has other priorities.” Rather than elaborate on that, I opted to focus on what was important. “I found her locked up in a cage in New York City. She might have some useful information about who did this to Tyler.”
Makayla nodded, then told my father what she’d just told me.
He considered her story for a long moment, gave her a single nod, and then refocused on me. “I need a minute, Ric.Alone.”
My jaw ticked, not just at the abrupt—andrude—dismissal, but at the knowledge of what he wanted to discuss.Ascension. It was needed. The pack would fall apart without an alpha at the helm, but I didn’t feel ready to lead them. They weren’t mine to guide. Not anymore. However, there was no avoiding the conversation. Whether I accepted or not, we had to discuss it.
I could almost hear Tyler in my ear saying,Suck it up, bro.
My gaze slid to Makayla for a beat. Adding a mate to the mix, especially one who kept secrets, would only make my job more difficult.
She had a lot more to tell me. Whether or not she would remained to be seen, but I sensed the mystery in her aura. She’d only told me part of her story. And I hadn’t failed to notice her lack of a reason for why she’d been investigating the trafficking.
“Ric?” my father prompted.
“I heard you,” I bit out. “But first, I’m taking Makayla to a house she’s welcome in—mine.”
Without another word or glance at Makayla, I stalked back to the house and around the front to the car. She followed without a word, slipping into the passenger seat and buckling in for the short drive to my two-bedroom cabin. I parked in the driveway, only three blocks away from my brother’s house, and stared up at the home I’d never considered to be mine. I owned it, but I rarely stayed it in.
Makayla’s scent floated around me, a comforting wave of feminine florals that soothed my wolf.
Since when do you like perfume?I demanded, unbuckling my seat belt and stepping out into the spring air. The fresh aroma did nothing to cool my desire for the female exiting the car. Nor did it do anything to dismantle my growing anger over this entire situation.
This mating pull with its mounting attraction was a pain in the ass.
Distracting and unwelcome.
I unlocked the front door and stepped inside, expecting it to be a dusty mess. However, it looked as if it had been kept up, or recently cleaned. The smells in the air reminded me of...home. At another time, that would have calmed and comforted me. But as I took in the scene before me, I had a feeling it had been my packmates who’d prepared my home for my return. On inspection, I even found the refrigerator stocked with food. They’d gone out of their way to care for someone who’d not been there for them, and it darkened my mood.
The front door shut quietly while I stood in the kitchen brooding over being a shitty packmate and potential alpha. I didn’t want to deal with Makayla—mymate—so I spun around and marched into the hallway, where I expected to find her awkwardly waiting. Instead, I found her in the living room studying the pictures on the walls and mantel.
Clearing my throat, I caught her attention and jerked my head to the left. “I’ll show you where everything is.”
I grabbed a towel and an extra toothbrush from a linen closet in the hall, which also appeared to be freshly stocked, and pointed out the bathroom on the way to the guest room. “Your room,” I grunted as I tossed the items onto the bed.
Makayla remained oddly silent, but as I felt no desire to talk, I appreciated the reprieve. Our eyes locked for a moment, only broken by my quick glance at the bed behind her. I hardened, and my wolf brushed his fur under my skin, encouraging me to follow through with the ideas running through my head.
Makayla sucked in a quick breath and crossed her arms over her chest, drawing my gaze to her generous breasts. The position put them on display, and her rigid nipples poked into her T-shirt, making my mouth water.
I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head as though I could toss away all the lustful thoughts and images. “Fuck this shit,” I muttered as I turned to leave.
“Oh, wait. Coffee?” she asked, her voice soft and coaxing.
I glanced over my shoulder, frowning darkly, but gave her a sharp nod and led her to the kitchen. There had to be a coffee maker somewhere. I opened two cupboards before spying one beside a myriad of other cooking utensils—were all of these new?—and set it on the counter for her.
“Thank you.” Her lips tipped up into a small smile.
“I need to see my father. I don’t know when I’ll be back.”
