HannasHaven (16 page)

“Yeah, well, Connor is. Who knows what Cade’s
doing half the time.”

Cooper laughed. “You can blame a coyote for
that.”

Marcus groaned. “You don’t plan on ever
taking over the Alpha role, do you?”

“Nope,” Cooper answered with a grin.

“You going to start looking for someone
else to take over?”

“Nope.”

“Fuck,” Marcus swore. “You really want me
to do it. Why not Rye? Or Cain?”

“Rye doesn’t have the empathy to deal with
them. All he would focus on is security. He’d make sure everyone is safe, but
he’d forget about making sure they were happy.”

“Yeah, well, they’re not happy under me.”

“No,” Cooper said. “But at least you know
that and you want to remedy it.”

Marcus ran his hand over his face. “I don’t
want this.”

“If you really can’t do it, I’ll find
someone else. I can talk to Cain. But if Cain goes so does Dusty and I lose two
enforcers.

“I’d appreciate it if you’d give it a bit
longer there. Laney’s frail at the moment and the pack needs me to help hold
them together after everything that’s happened. I’d consider it a favor. Just
take some time and think things through.”

“There are a lot of factors to consider,”
Marcus said slowly. “Hanna and I would have to come clean. They may hate me
after that. But I can’t give her up. And I’d have to give up my pack.”

“Believe me, I know how hard it is to leave
your pack.”

“Who’s leaving?” a sleepy voice
interjected.

Marcus rose to greet his sister as she walked
out onto the porch. He scooped her up into his arms as she let out a delighted
squeal.

“Marcus! I didn’t know you were coming.”

Grinning, he kissed her cheek. “Neither did
I, baby sis. It was kind of a last-minute thing.” He sat down with her on his
lap.

“You’re supposed to be resting, sweet.”
Cooper stared at her in concern.

She leaned her head against Marcus’ chest.
“I am. See? My feet aren’t even touching the floor.” She wiggled them around.

Cooper growled, grabbing her feet. “They’re
freezing. You should have slippers on.”

“Is there something I should know?” Marcus
asked. Cooper had always been overprotective of his mate, more so now that she
was pregnant, but he seemed even more intense than usual.

“No, nothing,” Laney said quickly.

Cooper shot her a look and rose, walking
inside. She stared down at her lap. “I’ve been having a few contractions and,
umm, a bit of spotting.”

“Oh hell.” Marcus held her close and rocked
her.

“It’s okay.” Her voice quavered. “It’s just
a bit scary, you know? Especially for Cooper. He doesn’t know what to do… Well,
except for growling at me all the time.”

Something splashed against his hand and he
realized she was crying.

“Shh, don’t get upset. That can’t be good
for you or the baby.”

“I know.” She sniffled. “Hormones, you
know? Plus, I have nothing to do all day but worry. Even with Dusty and Cassie
coming to see me most days, just— Oh, listen to me feeling sorry for myself. So
ridiculous. Other people have much worse things going on in their lives. Tell
me about Silverton. How’s Hanna?”

Cooper stepped back onto the porch and
handed Marcus a blanket, which he tucked around his sister, then proceeded to
tell her about the last few weeks, leaving out the challenge from Ryder and his
worry over the pack.

Nearly two hours later, he handed a sleepy
Laney over to Cooper, who held her tenderly, laying a sweet kiss on her
forehead. “Wait for me. I’ll get her settled then walk you out.”

Marcus hung around outside on the porch
until Cooper returned and together they walked to his truck.

“Thanks for that,” Cooper said. “She needed
some cheering up.”

“You should have told me.”

“I know,” Cooper agreed. “But I feel like I’ve
dumped enough on you. If you really don’t want this I’ll figure something else
out.”

Marcus looked at him, really looked at him,
and for the first time pushed past his own problems to see the fatigue in
Cooper’s eyes, the new lines on his face. “I’ll be fine. You just take care of
my baby sister.”

“You said it yourself. A good Alpha looks
after everyone, not just the strongest in the pack. And he doesn’t just take
care of security, but sees to their whole well-being. I think you know what to
do, you just have to stop thinking that you can’t do it.”

Marcus snorted and then punched him on the
shoulder. Hard.

“Hey, no hitting the Alpha!” Cooper barked.

“Yeah, well, looks like you’re not going to
be my Alpha anymore.” He climbed into his truck. “Plus, you set me up. Bastard.
You’re just lucky my sister loves you.”

Cooper smiled. “I know. I tell myself that
every night.”

Driving back to Silverton, Marcus didn’t
feel the wrenching need to stay at Shadowpeak that he’d thought he might.
Instead, he was eager to get back. Could Silverton really become home? Could he
be an Alpha?

You need to take care of everyone.

Marcus drove through the entrance to the
Silverton estate, gratified to see that there were guards on watch. But there
was more to a pack than security. Way more.

Parking, he picked up his cell and called
Cooper.

“What?” his brother-in-law asked. “Giving
up already?”

“No. I need you to buy me some building
supplies. Since you made this mess, the least you can do is pay to fix it.”

“Goddamn bastard, should have known better
than to put you in charge.”

Marcus chuckled. “Well, I can’t hurt you,
but I can make it pinch in other ways.”

“All right,” Cooper replied with a laugh.
“What do you need?”

“Don’t know. Yet. I’ll get back to you.”

Plan in mind, Marcus entered the pack
house. His house.

* * * * *

“Yep, put that over here. Lower it down slowly. Good.”
Marcus and Iain laid the large beam down exactly where Trent told them.

Trent, a large but soft-spoken man, turned his attention to
another worker and Marcus took the moment to step back and appraise all they’d
accomplished over the last three weeks.

When he’d first gotten the entire pack together for a
meeting and a pack run, he’d seen their skepticism and fear. He’d known he had
to handle this delicately, a challenge when he was used to speaking his mind.

So he’d started the meeting with a question he knew none of
them were expecting.

“Who here knows how to build houses?”

Everyone had looked at him blankly and for a moment he’d
wondered if he’d taken completely the wrong tack. Then a large man with long,
dark hair and a beard had stepped forward and raised his hand.

“I can,” he said. As soon as Trent had spoken, a few more
stepped up.

Marcus had outlined his plan to replace the worst of the
housing. That which housed the most vulnerable, the elderly and those with
young children would be done first. The very pack members Leonard had ignored.

Many in the pack had scrutinized him with disbelief, trying
to figure out his angle. But once the building supplies started rolling in and
the work began, those looks had become fewer.

After his announcement they’d gone for a run. The first run
as a whole pack, he’d been told. Leonard used to run with only his enforcers.
Of course, Marcus hadn’t turned the opinion of the pack overnight, but
gradually they’d been warming toward him. Parents with small children no longer
avoided him like the plague. Those who were submissive didn’t seize with fear
or immediately kneel when he came close.

Yeah, things were definitely looking up.

“We’d like to help.”

Marcus turned at the words, his eyes immediately settling on
Hanna even though it was Blair who’d spoken.

He forced his gaze from his woman. “Yes?”

“We’d like to help with the building work,” Blair replied, and
five women standing behind her nodded.

His forehead puckered into a frown. He knew it was
old-fashioned of him, but he didn’t like the idea. They could get hurt so
easily.

“That’s a really nice offer, but—”

“Oh Marcus,” a breathy voice interjected. Loudly. “I brought
you some refreshment.”

He barely hid his wince. Olivia had a voice like nails on a
blackboard. He glanced over at the tall, rail-thin brunette. A couple of other
women stood behind her. They all held trays of ice-cold beer. His mouth watered
and he gave her a brisk nod. He didn’t trust her as far as he could throw her,
which was a long way considering her skinny stature, but he’d kill for a beer.

“Thanks, that’s great. Break for the day,” he called out.
The men let out a whoop and put down their tools. Olivia stepped over, too
close, and handed him a beer. She smiled up at him, licking her lips.

“Anything for you, Marcus.”

He took a step back. If she got any closer he’d be able to
see what she’d had for lunch. He glanced at Hanna to see her scowling at them.

Jealous?

He raised a brow at her. Her hands rested on her hips,
attitude screaming from her as she turned her head away in an obvious huff.

How could she be jealous? Didn’t she know that she meant
everything to him?

Then he noticed everyone else in Hanna’s group had the same
scowl on their faces. Was it because Olivia and her group had brought them
refreshments?

Women. He really didn’t understand them. But they were part
of his pack and he wanted them happy.

“Blair, maybe you and your friends could help Olivia and the
others tomorrow,” he offered.
There, that should satisfy them. Good work.

Blair sniffed and gave him a look of disgust. “Get your own
fucking beer.”

Everyone quieted, watching.

Damn. Here was another of those moments where he had to
tread carefully.

“Firstly,” he said quietly, “I don’t swear or speak to you
so disrespectfully and I expect the same courtesy.”

She paled a little but stood her ground, arms crossing her
chest. Hanna and Honey stepped up on either side of her, Honey watching him
warily, Hanna giving him a look that told him to fix this.

“Understand?” He lowered his voice, letting the wolf shine
through. Had Blair been a member of Shadowpeak, he’d have laughed her comment off.
But he had to establish his dominance here without coming across as an asshole,
or he’d never gain their respect.

Blair averted her eyes, laying her neck to one side in a
sign of submission.

Thank fuck.

“Yes sir. I’m sorry.”

“Secondly, if you want to help, then what exactly were you
proposing?”

“We want to help with the building work.” It was Hanna who
spoke up.

Like hell.
He bit back the instant denial. But there
was no way he wanted Hanna doing hard, dirty work.

Tread carefully.

“And do you know anything about construction work?” he
asked.

“You lot? Building?” Olivia laughed before Blair or Hanna
could answer him. “That’d be right. It would suit you, wouldn’t it Blair? After
all, didn’t your father always wish you’d been born a boy? You certainly don’t
know how to act like a female.”

The hurt in Blair’s eyes made his back teeth ache with the
urge to snarl and wipe the smirk from Olivia’s face.

“Enough, Olivia,” he said curtly. “I don’t think you’re
needed anymore.”

“But, Alpha,” she whined.

“You can head home now. Thanks for the refreshments. And I’m
not the Alpha.”

With a pout he was certain she practiced in the mirror, she
flounced off, her friends following behind.

“We have as much experience as some of these guys,” Hanna
interjected.

He glared at her. She was so getting a spanking.

“This is hard work, ladies. You could easily get hurt. And
it’s my job to protect you from that.”

“Doesn’t take a lot of strength to use a drill.”
Surprisingly, this came from the usually quiet Honey.

Ryder stepped up beside him, wiping his sweaty forehead on
his arm. “You’re not working on-site, Honey. If you want to help you can make
up some curtains,” he ordered arrogantly.

Marcus almost grimaced at the fury flaring on the women’s
faces. If looks could hurt, Ryder would be writhing on the floor cupping his
balls.

“You’re worried we’d show you up, Ryder,” Blair spat. “I was
always better with tools than you were and it just kills you.”

“That’s when we were five, Blair, and they were plastic!”

Hell. Time to diffuse this. But before he could speak, Rafe
stepped up to the other side of him.

“Blair, you’ll speak with more respect to your brother.”

“What? Why?”

“Because he’s your brother and you’re acting like a brat.
Marcus would have been within his rights to punish you for the way you spoke to
him before, and you’re still carrying on.”

“Ryder is just as rude to me!” she cried, her face growing
red.

Rafe placed his hands on his hips. Marcus had never seen the
soft-spoken guy get so upset before. “Calm down, Blair.”

“Calm down? Get fu—” The rest of that statement was cut off
by Hanna’s hand landing on Blair’s mouth. Just as well, because Rafe had taken
a big step forward.

“Enough,” Marcus said firmly. “We’re all tired and our
tempers are fraying. We’ve been working too hard. Tomorrow, everyone take the
day off and chill out. Ladies, you can help on-site, but there are a few rules.
You have to do exactly as Trent says. The minute you argue with him or disobey
him you’re out.” He looked at Blair as he said that and the temperamental
werewolf nodded and looked down. “If you decide it’s not for you then you’re
free to leave without repercussions.” He glared at Ryder and Rafe as he said
that. They agreed reluctantly.

“Good. Everyone, thank you for your help. I’ll see you back
here day after tomorrow.”

They all left. Hanna snuck a glance over her shoulder at him
and winked.