Bayou Wolf (17 page)

“So, she has not yet consolidated the pack,” Diesel seemed to focus on them all again.

“No. She’s close, but she has too many dominants and Lone Wolves used to answering to no one but themselves and the Enforcers. It will take time for her to strike a balance.” Sera already explained it once, but it bore repeating.

“You want us to each send a wolf and rotate them in and out of the territory. A grouping of five, strong dominants capable of putting down insurrection, until she has solidified her position?” Mason didn’t hate the idea, despite the implied skepticism of his words. If anything, he looked more interested the longer they dwelled on the proposal.

“Why not simply kill them, and be done with it?” Diesel paced around the edges of the room. Nothing seemed to settle the wolf. Every time he drew near her, his nostrils flared, an annoying and tiresome habit.

“Because Serafina likes the idea of another female Alpha even if she isn’t half the ball buster you are.” Cassius smirked, then shook his head. “It’s a bad idea. Even if we were willing to consider letting the sixth pack consolidate, if she can’t hold them…” Instead of finishing the thought, he shook his head and said, “There are three ways to hold a pack—fear, loyalty, and bloodshed. She cannot command fear, and she has not earned their loyalty.”

Which left bloodshed. Focusing on the Sutter Butte Alpha, she said, “You know all about the third option, yet you have also lost your taste for it.”

He met her gaze, his cool and unforgiving. “Have a care, Serafina.”

Unperturbed by the threat, she smiled. “I am having a care. We in this room created the situation in Three Rivers. Through fear, miscommunication, isolation. Once upon a time, it made sense to keep our borders well-defined and our neighbors at arm’s length. In an age of modern technology—you being an exception Diesel—it’s unnecessary.”

“I prefer the lack of technology,” Diesel stated.

“As I said,”
damn stubborn males
, “you’re the exception.”

“We did not invite this Alpha,” Mason said, pushing out of his chair to join Diesel in the pace. “We did not encourage this behavior.”

“We kind of did.” Brett shocked her by agreeing. The Hudson River Alpha hadn’t been in favor, despite his thoughtful expression, but he tapped his fingers together. “One thing I learned through Marco’s betrayal is not all of our wolves are happy. Some are pulling further and further away. Some go Lone Wolf, others Fade.” None looked at Diesel, though Sera agreed with Brett’s implication—Diesel seemed well on the way to the Fade despite his mercurial changes in temperament from day-to-day. “Still others upset the balance across the board.” Brett met Mason’s gaze. “You did that. You were a Lone Wolf who broke the rules regularly and were allowed, then you took Willow Bend. Is it any wonder that other Lone Wolves are considering the same thing?”

The silence elongated through the room.

“Fuck it all,” Mason swore and glared at her. “Yes, I bent the laws. That doesn’t give them the excuse to…”

“Bent? You built a relationship with Brett…a relationship with me…took a mate, then returned to challenge an Alpha. You broke laws. We can call it what it is in this room. Your humans admired you so much for the tenacity of spirit that they were moved to repeat the experience.”

“I’m aware,” Mason’s unhappiness with the accusation darkened his expression further. “So we send a representative each to support her for the time being. Then what?”

“Probation,” Cassius offered, and the concession surprised all of them—all save her. He’d asked her for a favor, and it seemed he was somewhat serious about it. “Six months? A year? We give her that long to secure the pack and if she fails, we will to clean it up, but we give them the opportunity.”

“A year is a long time for a Sentry to be away from their territory or their Alpha.” Distance could fray bonds, something they all recognized. “And if the ones we send are too strong, what is to stop one of ours from taking the pack from her?”

“If she can’t hold it…” Brett began.

“She doesn’t deserve it,” Serafina finished. The Hudson River Alpha nodded to her. “And we can rotate those we send to monitor and support. We will need another, however. Someone not linked to us to monitor her specifically, to weigh how it goes.”

“Julian,” Mason said. “We get the Enforcers involved. They are neutral.”

“In as much as they are Lone Wolves and have everything to gain, this should succeed.”

“No.” Cassius shook his head. “Perhaps later we can see how this experiment works and discuss changes for the Lone Wolves, but not yet.”

“I agree.” Mason threw his support in. When Brett nodded, Diesel shrugged and Sera surrendered the argument.

“Then we will discuss it in the future.” Which implied they would meet again. She raised her eyebrows and, one-by-one, the Alphas nodded.

“Then we’re finished here.” Brett rose. “Mason, a word?”

“In a moment,” he said. “I’ll join you outside.” The answer must’ve satisfied the Hudson River Alpha, as he strode from the room.

Diesel followed him out without a word. Cassius’ gaze rested on her as did Mason’s. To Cassius she said, “Prove to me no wolves die in your territory over the next six months, and I will grant your request.”

Surprise flickered in his eyes, and he inclined his head. “Six months?”

“Yes. Probation, as it were.” Of all of them, Cassius led the bloodiest territory, if he truly wanted to borrow Sovvan, he needed to prove to Serafina it would be safe for the Delta Crescent Omega.

His humorless smile told her he understood. “I’ll be in touch.”

“Until then.”

Cassius glanced at Mason. “Mason.”

“Cassius.”

The Sutter Butte Alpha left them alone together. Folding her arms, she raised her eyebrows at Mason. “Go ahead and yell.”

“You could have asked beforehand.”

“I told you my intentions. He’s my mate—mine. No longer yours. A fact you made abundantly clear to him when we returned to Willow Bend.”

Matching her temper with fierceness of his own, Mason said, “You left me no choice. He isn’t pack anymore. You saw to that.”

“I want you to grant him safe passage, haven, so he may visit his family whenever he chooses.” It didn’t matter what it cost her. Her mate needed to see his brothers.

Folding his arms, Mason narrowed his eyes. “You don’t dictate terms here, Sera.”

“What do you want for it, then? You, who were so concerned I might hurt him.” No she hadn’t forgotten his little warning shot.

He didn’t miss a beat. “Tennessee.”

“Excuse me?”

“Tennessee. It’s contested territory. I want it.”

She had a hundred wolves there, but she could afford to relocate them. “Fine. You have it.”

Mason extended his hand. She shook it, then he smiled. “I’d have granted it to him because his family is here, but I wanted to see what you were willing to give up.”

“Jackass. You should have asked for Louisiana, in that case.” Still, she had to laugh, because for her mate? She would have considered Louisiana.

“No,” Mason shuddered. “The summers suck there.”

Scowling, she jerked her hand from his grasp. “You don’t deserve Louisiana anyway.”

“No, it’s yours.” His shoulders relaxed. “As is he. Take care of him, Sera.”

“With every breath in my body. He’s mine.” No one would ever harm him.

“Do you really think this will work with Luciana’s pack?”

“I don’t know.” Not even the spirits answered her on the subject. “She has a good heart and good intentions…and I think she is waking up to the idea she did not know what she wanted when she began this venture.”

He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Does any Alpha really understand before they become Alpha?”

“No,” she said, smiling. “But if we are to survive, we must learn. She will learn or she will fall. If the five of us work together, we can perhaps mitigate any resulting disaster. I do not have it in me to execute so many wolves who only want to find a place again.”

“Agreed.”

An unfamiliar and distinctly feminine scent drifted down the hall. “Mason?”

“Crap.” He swore and pivoted. The woman entering had to be his mate. Everything in him seemed to focus on her. Curious, Serafina studied the wolf approaching. Cocoa skinned with thick curly hair and a soft smile, she moved with confidence. “Lexi, you were supposed to…”

“Wait. Yes, I know, but the other Alphas are outside, which meant the meeting was over, and I wanted to meet Serafina.”

Mason apparently didn’t want them to meet. Amused, she inclined her head toward Mason’s mate. “A pleasure to meet you, Alexis.”

“And you.” The woman’s wide smile held a note of devilish humor. Wrapping her arms around Mason, she added, “He’s worried I’m going to scratch your eyes out.”

“Truly?” Intrigued, Sera returned her attention to Mason.

“That is not what I said,” he growled.

“No, but it’s what you meant.” His wife didn’t look daunted by his growl in the least.

Alexis was good for him, Serafina thought, as she watched Mason’s mate nuzzle his cheek.

The woman smiled before she said, “You were lovers.”

“A long time ago,” Serafina confirmed.

“He worried I would be jealous.” Probably not an unreasonable notion, but Alexis seemed anything but disturbed. “I wanted to get a good look at you—and you’re beautiful.”

The compliment humbled her, so Sera inclined her head. “So are you.” They shared purely feminine grins.

“No,” Mason said firmly. “You two don’t get to be friends yet. You both know too many things about me, and I have enough problems.”

Sera was still laughing when she left the mated pair and went in search of Linc. They had a plan to deal with Three Rivers, a plan which would force them to interact more and to keep their lines of communication open. Hudson River was more closely aligned to Willow Bend, but then so was she now. Sutter Butte wanted to make changes, and the Yukon?

Well, who the hell knew with Diesel? He was a problem for another day, and her mate was waiting.

T
he Alpha meeting
was over and his time in Willow Bend drew to a close. On the way back to the guesthouse, Sera seemed lost in thought. Though they’d spent the rest of the afternoon with her wolves, she seemed distracted. Amy filled them in on the healer’s concerns about wolves drifting on the fringes, the fraying of pack bonds and the potential for madness. It was the first time Linc understood what had happened to Hudson River and how it could happen to other packs.

By evening,
his
mate was exhausted and Linc’s patience for her—
their—
packmates wore thin. Catching Jerome’s gaze, he nodded to the other two. The Hound grinned, then he herded Amy and Trish out to pay their last respects to Emma.

After their exodus, he scanned the yard before closing the door. Sera slid an arm around him from behind, her weight a comfort against his back. “How are you doing?”

Perhaps he should have expected the quiet question. Hadn’t she spent most of her day taking care of any number of items? Then, later, with her pack’s problems? “I think I should be asking you that question.” He turned, then slid his arm beneath her legs and scooped her into his arms. Her brows rose at the action, but she clasped her hands to his nape. “Think I didn’t notice you texting with Etienne? Or the other dozen wolves who messaged while you listened to Amy and the others?”

His mate hadn’t relaxed for a single instant since leaving the meeting. On the one hand, Linc understood the tasks she faced. Whatever decisions the Alphas came to would have short and long term consequences. One thing he did know about Sera, she took her responsibilities seriously. She wouldn’t rest until they were all tended.

“I’ve been a gone a few days. Not everything can wait till I return.” Nails stroking lightly against his skin, she gave him a tired smile. “It will be even worse once we get back home.”

“I get that,” he said, climbing the stairs. The mess in the kitchen could wait. The packing could wait. The other wolves could wait. “Packs keep an Alpha busy. So many wolves to care for, problems to resolve, and tasks to complete.”

Relief flickered in her eyes, and his heart fisted in his chest. His beautiful, competent and utterly confident mate worried he wouldn’t understand. Pausing at the top of the steps, he brushed his lips to hers.

“I see all of your responsibility and power, and I respect it—and you. I know it can’t be easy. I get that you can’t always say
no
or
not now
.”

With two light fingers, she traced the mark she’d given him. Adrenaline fueled the desire and love twining together through his system.

“I regret nothing.” She spoke in a soft voice. “I’ve always believed regrets were for people who could not own their actions and their choices. Yet, I find myself worried you will regret the speed of our courtship. That I demanded you as a mate. That I am basically stealing you away.”

The admission cost her nothing, yet he heard the tremor of truth beneath her fear. After carrying her into the borrowed bedroom, he kicked the door closed behind him and walked over to the bed. “An Alpha must always show strength, temper their authority with kindness and compassion, yet never flinch from the decisions they make.” The words were rote; he could recite them in his sleep. In truth, he’d never really understood the depth of their meaning before knowing her.

“Did Mason tell you that?” She tugged him to her when he would have set her on the bed. He obliged the request, settling atop her. In every way, she fit him. Inhaling her scent, he nuzzled another taste from her soft, full lips before beginning to trace a path of kisses along her jaw.

“No.” Nibbling kisses along her ear, he caught her lobe between his teeth and gave it a little tug. Her nails dug into his shoulders and her breath hitched. Cataloguing her reaction, he continued to explore. “My grandfather did. He used to tell us stories when we little, the same kind we all hear—fairy tales and horror.”

Breathless wonder greeted his comment. “Horror?”

“Hmm-hmm.” He continued along the line of her throat, leaving a tender kiss against his mark before loosening the buttons of her shirt. The darkness of her skin fascinated him. Their fierce coupling in the SUV had been hot and filled with desire, but he’d meant what he’d said. He wanted time to play with her, to know her, and to glut himself on the taste of her pleasure. “All that kissing at the end…horror.”

Real laughter shook her, and she slapped his shoulder. Tugging the fabric of her shirt apart, he admired the fullness of her breasts. “Oh, they are even prettier than I remembered,” he said more to himself than to her. Tugging the lace aside, he pressed his lips to her nipple, a greeting and a promise before continuing, “He caught us playing Alpha one day. Fighting amongst ourselves, a game really, but Grandpa thought we should understand that being Alpha wasn’t like being king of the treehouse for the day. We didn’t just get our way. We were responsible for everyone in our treehouse.”

Raising his head, he met her shimmering, tawny gaze. When she pushed him upward, he complied and she sat facing him. “Did it make you want to be Alpha more?”

“Nope.” At her urging, he raised his arms so she could sweep his t-shirt off and toss it aside. “Less, actually. A.J. liked to look after us, butt in our business, tell us what to do and we always went to him because he knew the answers. But, me? I’m really happy with taking care of the Alpha.”

The scorching heat of her touch gentled against his skin. She paused. “What?”

“The way I see it…there’s the Alpha. He—or
she,
in our case—is in charge and responsible for everyone.” He tugged her bra clasp apart then trapped her arms behind her as he stripped her shirt and bra off. Holding her captive for a moment, he leaned in and brushed his nose against hers. “There are the seconds or lieutenants. They act for the Alpha, taking on some of those tasks that need to be done. There are Hunters and Hounds to help the Alpha keep the security.” Pausing, he brushed his mouth against the corner of her eye. Rather than resist or pull free, she let him hold her. She closed her eyes and trusted his touch.

Exultation burst through him at the demonstration of her affection and faith in him. He would never fail her. “Every wolf, in the pack she is responsible for and cares for, has a place because of her.” He tried to ignore the lump of emotion lodging in his throat. The beautiful, magnificent woman trusted him. “They are cared for by her, and she feels all their needs, their troubles, and their trials personally. What you do for all, I want to do for you.”

Sera opened her eyes, and he released the hold on her wrists. She brought her hands to his face and cupped his cheeks. “You already do.”

“No, not quite.” Turning, he pressed a kiss to each palm, then gave her a chiding look. “I have a lot to learn.”

“Such as,
sha
?” Sultry challenge echoed in the words.

He paused. “Such as, what the hell is
sha
, anyway? I mean if you’re calling me a bonehead, I really outta know.”

Silencing him with a single finger pressed to his lips, she sobered. “It’s Cajun slang and means darling…or sweetheart.”

“So much better than bonehead.” Some wolves knew their mates for years and didn’t get it right. Others discovered them five minutes after being in each other’s presence. Linc counted himself among the lucky ones. “I promise you I will always be there for you. I will always have your back. What you need,
sha
, will become my only desire to fulfill.”

A single tear glistened along her cheek. “I love you.”

“Oh,” he whispered as he kissed her. “The horror.”

When she laughed again, he stole home to stroke her tongue with his. Sera had all of Delta Crescent to care for—he had Sera. He definitely came out on top.

B
efore he left Willow Bend
, he wanted Sera to meet his family and for his family to get a chance to know her. Thanks to Mason’s dispensation, he was able to drive Sera down the main street and along the lake before heading to his parents’ home.

“And that’s where I broke my first bone. An arm.” He pointed to one of the old oaks. “It was Tyler’s fault.”

“He broke your arm?” She frowned.

“No.” He grinned, pride swelling in his chest. “He started the fight that ended when I fell out of the tree.”

She laughed. He loved the sound of it, loved sharing his memories with her. Unsurprisingly, even with the snow, his whole family tromped outside as he pulled in. But one surprise did await him… “Ranae.” He shot Sera a grin. “Mason let her come.”

In a rush, he raced around to open Sera’s door. With a knowing smile curving her lips, she shook her head. Yes, he was leaving, and the loss ached, but they were at his parents’ to celebrate, not to mourn.

Despite her subdued expression, Ranae threw her arms around him for a hug. A.J. greeted Sera with a kiss to her cheek, while Ty did the same. Mom grabbed her and hugged her. Throughout the introductions, Vivian and Claire studied her in fascination. They eagerly invited Sera to join them inside.

After the women abandoned them, his father studied him. “You’re happy.”

“Yes, but I’m sorry I made Mom cry.”

“Her tears were happy and sad, but more happy than sad.” His father clasped his shoulder. “A mate is a powerful thing. Treasure her and you’ll always know happiness, no matter where you live. But never forget us. We will
always
be your family.” His rough embrace comforted Linc and made him feel small all at the same time. With a glance to A.J. and Tyler, Dad said, “And no fighting today, boys. We’re going to do this right.”

Like perfect gentlemen, his brothers said, “Yes, sir.”

Disbelief filled Virgil’s frown, but he squeezed Linc’s shoulder. “Food will be on the table in a few minutes.”

Once they were alone, A.J. shook his head and Ty mirrored the gesture.

“What?” Linc glanced from one to the other.

“So, your definition of meek and submissive…” A.J. began.

“…is the Alpha of Delta Crescent?” Tyler finished.

“She can be meek.” Could didn’t mean
would
or
did
. Sera could do anything.

Tyler laughed, then A.J. joined him. Ty said, “I think we should go tell her all about what Linc really wanted in a mate. Make sure we’ve prepared her for the bonehead maneuver.”

A.J. looked thoughtful. “Might be wise, especially for pack relations.”

His brothers stared at him and Linc smiled. He threw the first punch.

They were still beating on each other in the snow when their mother came looking for them. When they refused to leave their snowball fight, their mates joined them. The company increased their competitiveness, as he and his brothers waged war upon each other and tried to intercept every snowball thrown at their mates.

Best snowball fight ever.

Especially when Sera totally nailed A.J. in the face.