AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Jericho watched the pack gather once more in the meeting room at the lodge. Payton stood in the back again, near the door. He wished she sat next to him, but he understood her unease. Knew it had to be hard to break the psychological bullshit her parents had subjected her to simply because they were ashamed of what they perceived as a flaw. He was going to have a heart-to-heart with Mr. and Mrs. Jones very soon.
As if he conjured them, Marcus and Nancy Jones entered. They shared a brief look with Payton before moving on to find a seat. The rest of the pack filed in. Even Esmeralda had closed down the diner to attend. Many waved at him or gave a smile. The mood was vastly different from the day before when he had confronted Bennett. Once everyone was seated, he stood. A hush fell through the room.
“I know you were just here,” he started. “And I thank you for making the trek back to the lodge.”
“I hope you keep the meetings,” Doris said. “Never liked boarding this place up.”
Jericho smiled. “Yes, and I plan to put the lodge’s title under the municipality of Sheridan. One person shouldn’t have the power to be able to sell it from under the pack. This way, it’ll be protected no matter who is alpha.”
Excitement bubbled through the room as people began murmuring amongst themselves.
“Another thing I must bring to your attention is the fact that Bennett Warren seems to have skipped town,” Jericho said. “Pack law is pretty definitive that the title of Alpha must be won through ritual combat if the alpha is challenged.”
“I think it’s very apparent Bennett was a liar and a cheat,” someone else said.
“I’m not going to disagree with you, but as pack, we mustall agree with what happens from here.”
“You mean, do we agree to ignore that Bennett isn’t going to fight you?” Marcus Jones asked.
“Yes,” Jericho replied.
“I have no problem forgetting all about Bennett,” Esmeralda said.
Several people cried out, “Here, here.”
“Then we should create bylaws,” Jericho said. “It’s been pointed out to me that this pack should be more of a democratic society than one person deciding all the laws.”
“But packs have a hierarchy,” Marcus said. “Are you suggesting we ignore that?”
“Not at all, but I’d like to have more input from all of you when it comes to certain issues.”
He smiled at the group and glanced toward Payton. She gave him a thumbs-up. He had a sneaking suspicion that she wasn’t about to like his next move.
“Now, on a personal note, I want to say that I have claimed my mate,” he said, maintaining eye contact with Payton. Her eyes widened, and he detected a hint of panic.
“Better be Payton,” Esmeralda said loudly.
People snickered. Marcus and Nancy looked at one another. Jericho held up his hands to simmer everyone down.
“Yes, it’s Payton,” he said. “She seems to be under the impression that she’s not good enough to be mated to the Alpha. But I want to be absolutely clear that in the years I’ve been gone, my goal had always been to take back this pack and to claim my mate. If anyone has a problem with that, speak now. And then go fuck off.”
He stared at Marcus and Nancy. They seemed to understand his underlying message and looked down, unable to maintain his gaze. Because they were Payton’s parents, he’d let them remain in the pack, but he was determined to keep them atarm’s length.
The meeting broke up, and once more, he was inundated with people coming forward to congratulate him. Payton had once again disappeared from the back of the room, but he didn’t worry. He knew she’d linger outside. They were going to her apartment to pack up her belongings to move into his home. He’d worn her down until she agreed. Once he set his mind to something, he refused to take no for an answer.
****
Payton watched the children play in the flower beds behind the lodge. They were too young to attend meetings. A few teenagers who were supposed to be watching the kids were instead on their phones, but Payton didn’t correct them. She still felt it wasn’t her place. Instead, she sat on a step and kept an eye on the group.
She couldn’t believe Jericho had made such a bold announcement to the entire pack. He had even given her parents a glower. Secretly, she was thrilled that he’d defended her. She knew it would take time to move past her hang-ups, but she was determined to work on that.
Suddenly, an uneasy feeling settled over her. Like she was being watched. Her wolf turned on her scenting, and Payton got up to patrol the perimeter. She knew she wasn’t alone when the teenagers jumped to their feet. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught some movement from the eastern edge of the woods, and she turned. Bennett’s omegas advanced from the outskirts, striding with purpose. A chill raced over her.
“Round up the children,” she ordered, taking charge. She would defend her pack to the death. “Get some help.”
Two kids ran toward the back entrance while the others hurried to gather up the smaller children. Payton moved to intercept the omegas, and that was when she noticed they weren’t just coming from the east. They were actuallysurrounding them, and she could smell the malice dripping from them. For a moment, panic filled her. How was she going to protect them all? Surely the adults would come tearing out of the lodge at any moment to help.
“The doors are locked!”
