We entered the house, searching for the rest of them. They were on the back deck, Holden sitting on the deck with Soren in her lap and Betta leaning against her. I placed Lexi on the couch and went out to join them.
As soon as I entered the compound, Tessa’s scent hit me, reminding me what had started all of this.
Holden leaped to her feet, standing to meet us. Max picked up Soren, taking him to the medical area to check over again.
I was angry. My wolf was livid, wanting to hunt and punish any who would defy my rules.
Why would Tessa come and challenge my mate? She knew we were working with the pups. I could feel my wolf wanting to shift, to follow the female and to discipline her for disturbing my place and my Pack.
My Pack?
I felt Holden touch my arm, and I looked down at her. My wolf was still visible in my eyes. I knew Holden wasn’t ready to see this side of me, to learn about lycanthropes, but I couldn’t help it. My wolf didn’t want to release me yet.
Then she asked about Lexi, while touching my face. Skin to skin. Jostling my humanity back into my head.
My wolf descended, whispering Mine.
My nostrils flared to take in her scent. I could deal with the situation now that we had taken care of the threat. Now that Tessa had left us, with her tail between her legs and Lexi was okay.
I wrapped my arms around Holden and shoved my head into the nook between her neck and her shoulder, taking a deep breath. I felt Betta lean against our legs. Looking, I saw the Pack bonds between Holden and the pups forming, still weak, but there. I snorted. They were making her Pack. How was that even possible?
I lifted my head and stared at the woman. “I am sorry. When that bitch attacked you and the pups, my heart stopped. Bitches do that sometimes, and the result never is pretty.” My voice was rough, still filled with a touch of my wolf.
Holden’s eyes went wide. “That was a female wolf? Damn.”
She knew that the females sometimes attacked orphaned pups. It was rare, but it happened. And she had gotten between that bitch and Soren.
And yet…. If it happened again, I bet she would do the same. I knew her. Holden would do anything for these pups.
I studied her. “Yes. Why did you challenge her?”
Holden stepped out of my arms. I didn’t want to let her go, but I had no reason to keep holding onto her.
“I would protect these pups. No one and nothing will hurt them, Shane.”
She turned to walk into the house, her mind intent on checking on Lexi.
I nodded. She would protect her Pack, and the pups now were Pack for her. How it had happened, I wasn’t sure. I just knew I was glad to be a part of her Pack, even if she didn’t know it. I wondered, though, how the pups had created the bonds with her.
What had Tessa been doing here? I wasn’t permitting the Pack near the compound. My guess is that jealousy drove her, since I had been spending so much time here, with the pups and Holden. But there was no reason for jealousy. We weren’t more than acquaintances. Not even friends.
It was unfortunate, but she was becoming a problem I needed to take care of once and for all. She had signaled several times she was interested in being my mate. That would not happen. Ever. Not even before I had met Holden. She was not the person I wanted to spend my life with. My wolf abhorred her. She just had to understand that and deal with it.
I walked out the house, moving into the forest. Once I was far enough away from the house and prying eyes, I shifted. I needed to run and hunt to release the residual tension.
Holden
Soren was okay. The pup had a few scrapes and bruises, but Max had patched him up, putting him down to join his sisters. We fed the three pups a small snack, before encouraging them to go into their den to comfort each other and snuggle.
“I can’t believe you got between the pup and that wolf, Holden.” Max cleaned up the area he was using as a medical center. “You could have gotten hurt.” His tone was even, but his words made it known he was chastising me.
I shrugged. I would not back down on this.
“This wasn’t the first time I have worked with aggressive wolves, Max. I have a few tricks I know, and I figured you and Shane were around for added protection. Why did she even come here? The pups didn’t act like she was part of their Pack. Why would she want to jump a barrier, just to attack them?”
Max said nothing for a while. Once he finished, he turned towards me. “I don’t know. It makes little sense to me either. Shane and I will put deterrents around the house to keep predators away.” He shrugged. “That is the best we can do.”
I nodded, looking around. “Where is Shane?”
We slipped inside the house. Max sighed, rubbing his eyes, his shoulders slumped with exhaustion.
“Not sure. Maybe he went for a walk or already started putting out the deterrents. It upset him that the wolf jumped the fence. And you being threatened.” He paused, twisting his lips in thought. “It may be best if you sleep in the house tonight. If it makes you feel comfortable, let the pups in, but I would feel better if you weren’t outside. I am sure Shane will agree. It took little effort for the wolf to jump the fence. We will have to raise it.”
I nodded and followed Max to the front door. “Thanks, Max. For checking over Soren’s concussion and helping with the pups.”
Max hugged me, startling a yelp from me. Holding my shoulders, he peered into my face.
“No, thank you, Holden. Those pups were dying before you arrived. They are now beginning to thrive. Because of you. I weighed Soren today, and he has already gained five pounds. Lexi looks wonderful, still underweight, but she looks like she also gained some muscle and grew a little taller. Betta’s coat is smoothing out, not looking as scraggly as it had been.”
He gave me another quick hug and slipped out the door, a hand lifted in a wave. “If things keep going well, I will bring my wife here to see them. She has been asking about them and is very curious about you. She is sure Shane is half in love with you.”
He left on that comment.
I put my hands into my back pockets and grinned at the door, hearing the doctor get into his car and drive off. Shane? In love with me? I shook my head, turning to go to the kitchen to make my evening meal. Shane reminded me of a friend I had once, another intern. That boy had been different. A good guy, just a little irresponsible. But he was also a nineteen-year-old college student. He had been gorgeous, with dark hair and green eyes. A body that caused me to go home from our internship with wet panties every day he was there. He, though, had been a huge flirt. He had made our time together fun, with so many laughs. He had made learning fun.
And I had fallen in lust with him.
He was not this private man. This solemn man acted as if life had shown him the worst evils and somehow he had still gotten back up and kept going. His body was lean and toned, as if it had to be to live his life. Not a body builder type of toning, but the toned, muscular body of one who does physical labor might need to have.
Something, though, reminded me of that boy.
I paused, looking down at the counter, wondering what had happened to that boy. I couldn’t even remember his name… Sean? John? What had happened to him? I exhaled, the memory filling my mind.
He joined the Marines. They had deployed him the day before our first date. I had waited for him, hoping he would return once he had fulfilled his service, but he hadn’t. Letters had trailed off; lives had moved apart.
A sharp pain stabbed my heart. That’s right, he had died in the stupid war. A war that he shouldn’t even have gone to. How had I forgotten? Perhaps it was because I had fallen into a deep depression once I had heard about his death. A depression full of dreams lost and people gone. It was while I was at this lowest point when I met Thomas. And he had put my shattered emotions back together, piece by piece.
I shook myself mentally, not wanting to delve on that anymore and opened the refrigerator. I wasn’t hungry, but I noticed that someone had left a salad in there. Well, that wasn’t for the pups. I pulled it out and searched for some salad dressing, making my own from olive oil and lemon juice when I couldn’t find any.
I poured myself a glass of red wine and then moved to the couch and sat down, leaving the lights on dim only in the kitchen. The dinner of animal biologists. Salad and wine. I chuckled to myself.
Lexi pawed at the glass door. Her siblings followed behind her a little slower, Soren looking over his shoulder to check on the forest every few steps.
The pups were wary. And scared. I couldn’t leave them out there tonight. I put my dinner on the coffee table and went to open the door.
“Come on in. After today, I think it might be best if we slept together in here, kids.”
The pups yipped and ran for the couch. I watched them jump up onto it. Those scrawny pups lounged over most of the couch. I sighed, grinned, and sat between Lexi and Betta, pushing them to the side. Lexi grinned up at me as she watched her sister get bumped into her brother. Soren just exhaled and moved to the far end, curling up with his nose under his tail.
It will be tight if we tried to sleep here on the couch. Perhaps we should move into the bedroom tonight. The queen-sized bed would be ideal for us.
