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My heart knew immediately who she was to me before I noticed the bond linking us to one another. She was perfect—is perfect, and that stunned me, her beauty knocking me off guard. My pulse pounds as the car door opens, and my vision tunnels on the small movement, desperate to see her again, especially after speaking to her on the phone earlier. My wolf had howled at me to go find her, to be there with her in person. But I couldn’t, not yet, not even when her tone had turned breathless, betraying her own longing for the connection that beams between us, like a shining beacon of hope, a pathway home. She may not be ready yet, but I refuse to let my mate go.
As soon as that mating bond snapped into place, I knew I couldn’t lose it, not without at least getting to know each other first. Because judging by the heat in those golden eyes and the hard steel glinting behind them, I knew she had her own demons to conquer, and I could help her break down those walls, just as I’d done with my own.
As she steps out I fight the urge to grin again, though I can’t suppress my lips from twitching. My eyes rove up her form, taking in the black combat boots that smack against the pavement, up to the form-fitting black pants showing off her curves. Focusing on her, I know I won’t be able to control my wolf if I catch anyone else taking in her form as hungrily as I am right now. I let the grin slip on my face as I notice the blades strapped to her legs, her fingers itching at the sides, readying to launch them into any threat’s skull. There’s also a gun protruding from her leather jacket, holstered to her hip, and I eye her appreciatively. Most alphas let their wolves be their weapon, but she too armed herself as a human. My cock twitches in my pants, imagining what it would be like to peel all of those weapons off of her body, followed by that leather jacket. I’d take my time with her, teasing her while stripping each knife and garment from her, leaving her bare before me, ready to feast upon. The picture of her coming apart, eyes locked on Everett flashes in my mind. Followed by the rage of knowing he,Monte,had his mouth on her.
Grunting under my breath, I force my eyes higher, not wanting the evidence of my arousal to permeate the air. Thankfully we’re still outside, but I have to take it slow. Moving too fast would only push her away, regardless of the desire blazing in those golden eyes as they meet mine. I can’t lose my chance at a home, because that’s what this connection feels like. Warm and comforting, even with the threat of it being taken away looming over me. This place, my brotherhood, has always been the most important thing to me. But it never felt like home, even with my mother. That was never truly home either. The fates have shown me my future, and her name is Skylar Draven.
She strides towards me, the rest of her pack silent now, and I notice their weapons poised at their sides as I scan the area, her movement pulling me from my trance. Tension grows amongst their ranks, their apprehension visible on their tight faces with their alpha being so close to me. They would never doubt me or our pack’s devotion to this alliance and keeping their alpha safe if they knew of the connection that stretches between us.
A few move to follow, but another man steps forward, directing them to stay where they are. My lips pull down into a frown, noticing he’d gotten out of the same vehicle as her. I’d hoped with that beta Monte back at the pack house, I’d be able to keep her attention on me.
“Alpha Draven,” I greet her, and her eyes narrow. I bite back the chuckle that begs to slip out. Apparently, just speaking to her annoys her. Doesn’t she realize that she’s making herself even more enticing to me, my wolf loving the challenge hers brings? I feel her wolf rise to the surface, and her footsteps falter just once before she rights herself, her strides confident once more. She clearly isn’t used to her wolf begging to take control, to go to her mate. Oh, this will be fun. I push that thought down, scolding my wolf for pushing hers, for wanting to play.
Trust me, I do too, but we’ll need to be patient,I tell him, easing his annoyance slightly.
“We’re meeting in the war room.” I gesture to a building on the other side of the narrow alleyway. To the unassuming eye our pack house may look like a rundown warehouse, but every inch of it has been planned meticulously. We don’t hide behind a wrought-iron gate while showcasing our riches. Not when we clawed our way up from nothing for what we have today. We curated these warehouses to be a fortress. The main rooms, weaponry, and so on were placed strategically so that if we were ever ambushed, the enemy would never know where to look.
Just as her pack still holds some apprehension towards us, we too haven’t entirely put our trust in them. They won’t be seeing much of our compound until we have some background, some assurance their alpha won’t run away.
“We’ll be checking it out first,” the beta says, stepping up to her side. I shake myself out of my internal thoughts, clearly needing to focus on my surroundings. I hadn’t even noticed the beta stepping forward until now. The man eyes me warily as though trying to get a read on me. He hadn’t been one of the few guards that had accompanied her yesterday. To his benefit, he doesn’t touch her, just stands protectively at her side. With him this close, I can see the signs of age lining his face.
The tension leaves her body with him standing to her side, and my wolf urges me to put a bullet between his eyes for that alone. The only thing that spares him in this moment is the emotions that run along the bond, one of familial ties rather than romantic. My heart drops at that realization, and my wolf backs down immediately. Clearly, he isn’t a blood relative, but she needs someone to fill that father figure role.
“Go ahead,” I say smugly, crossing my arms over my chest, not letting any of the emotions running through my mind show on my face. This man doesn’t need to know that I respect the role he’s filling in her life, and neither does she. Just in case he ever stepped a foot out of line.
He waves a few betas forward, the motion is stiff and his expression is guarded, as though he doesn’t want to openly show his mistrust in us, but his body language gives it away. Three males and two females fall into formation, their weapons at the ready as they prepare to open the door. I fight the smile, my mind already picturing what is about to happen when they open that door. Just then, the door swings open, almost hitting one male in the face, but he stumbles back just in time. The asshole must have gotten impatient, especially having sensed his mate just outside the door.
Everett marches out, oblivious of the betas he almost bowled over with his inopportune timing. He really does ruin all of my fun. I wanted to witness both his reaction and theirs being face to face with the hulking brute.
“What’s taking so long?” he grumbles, glancing around the scene. Only then does he realize the five betas standing on the other side of the door watching him warily, their weapons still raised.
“Lower your weapons,” Skylar growls, the anger radiating out of her in waves making the five betas shudder, their guns back at their sides immediately. I pinch my leg needing something to distract me from the arousal coursing through my body at her tone and her protective nature that bursts to the surface at seeing her mate threatened. Hide her feelings all she must, but I can see the truth, and this only further proves Everett’s plan might just work. That lucky fucking bastard.
Seeing the bastard draws my mind back to our conversation last night, when I almost threw him through a window when he confirmed he too said the words of rejection. He has a plan, and that plan is apparently me. With us working together, he wants me to let her in, to show her the real us, and that we’re more than her former rivals and tentative allies. He could see the hesitance in her eyes, tinged with regret at the hasty rejection, and he assured me that even though he spoke the words too, he would never let her go. There wouldn’t be a severing if he had anything to say about it. The calculated man always has a plan, and he better hope it pans out this time. Otherwise, I’ll do a lot worse. I refuse to lose my mate, not to his hard-headed ways and certainly not to hers. Two could play at that game—or I guess three.
Everett’s eyes lock on her, the hunger in them evident. I wish I could scold him, remind him to play it cool, especially in front of her pack. We need to keep to the plan, and none of them know that we’re her mates, not yet. But, at least I’m not the only one that can’t keep my shit together around my mate.
“Move,” she blurts, jolting Everett from his lust-induced trance. I swear this woman makes me feel like a teenager around their crush. She huffs out a breath of exasperation and pulls her Glock from the holster at her waist, clearly impatient with her betas still frozen in shock. I stiffen as she moves towards Everett, but she pushes past him, surveying the war room beyond. Lifting the gun to take sight, she cradles it with her other hand, her body poised for the recoil as she scans the room strategically.
Everett too watches her like a hawk as her betas follow her in, rushing to cover her as though she needs their protection. Nope, judging by her stance and the way she clears the corners of the room, she knows exactly what she’s doing. Fucking woman.
I follow Everett into the room leaving the rest of her pack outside to survey the area. Our pack has already been informed of their presence and has been told to stay clear for now. Once we run through the game plan we will bring them together. Understandably, there’s longstanding distrust on both sides, something that won’t be fixed so soon. We thought it would be alright to endure that for the time being but now that we’ve discovered Skylar is our mate we have to make sure both of our packs trust each other, that they know this alliance is the new normal. We have to show her how cohesively our packs can work together and how it can be if she accepts the mate bonds.
Her betas move about the room, apparently satisfied that the room is clear, and take positions on each wall. The older beta and one of the females stand behind her, covering her back as she approaches the map laid out on the planning table.
“What’s the plan?” she asks, tension radiating in her shoulders, her discomfort at being so heavily guarded evident in her posture. I switch into business mode, her unease twisting my stomach. Besides, the clock is running out on our planning time. My wolf rears its head in protest, a sorrowful howl sounding in my mind at the thought of our mate being put in danger. But I can’t go to the Langley compound on my own like I normally would, both of our packs will have to be represented, and since she’s the alpha of her pack she’s going to want to be there herself.
“The Langley compound is made up of abandoned shipping containers and laid out similarly to ours,” I start, pointing out the access road and entrance into the bear’s makeshift compound.
“Shipping containers?” Skylar asks in a disbelieving tone, her brows knitting together as she moves to my side to get a closer look at the map. I push back my urge to wrap an arm around her shoulders and bring her to my side. The body heat radiating off of her coupled with her intoxicating scent of cinnamon and vanilla is cloying on my senses, impairing my usually keen focus. Determined, I clear my throat and focus back on the map, soaking in the comfort of her presence. I ignore Everett as he chokes back a laugh, unquestionably taking pleasure in the herculean effort it takes for me to hold myself back, since the strain is clearly evident on my face.
“Yeah, they renovated the shipping containers like we did with the warehouses,” I say warily, my nerves heightening as her expression changes from one of confusion to one of outrage.
“But—shipping containers … What do they do in the winter? There must not be much insulation.” Her mouth turns down as her eyes scan the map, taking in the meager compound. My heart pangs at the sadness she feels for them despite their actions towards our packs. Eyeing the betas around the room, I can only hope they didn’t hear her pitying tone. If there’s no love lost between our two packs, it’s nothing compared to how either of us feel towards the bears. Their family’s lives have been put on the line for those thugs. Unlike them, the Whitlock pack rose in the ranks based on our own merit. We fought tooth and nail to claw ourselves out of poverty. However, the Langleys are attempting to do so on our back by stealing and maiming our family. Dissent would indeed travel through the Draven pack if they sensed their alpha had any sympathy for our enemies.
“The meeting will be held in this building—” I point to one of the containers three back on the left, changing the subject. “Our intel believes this is where the leader, Aldric’s, residence is.”
She eyes me shrewdly as I speak but thankfully doesn’t interrupt me. Let her think I have no conscience for now. It’s better than her putting her life at risk. If her pack attempted to overthrow her, it would be permanent. I read over the research Everett had on Skylar last night, and it was … extensive to say the least. She hadn’t been back to Endcliffe in over ten years, instead spending her time in New York City, removed from shifter society. What was that beta of hers thinking, not preparing her for this meeting, for the poverty she would experience tonight? Had she thought that everyone led the same privileged life as her and most of her pack?
