Terr5tory (5 page)

Chapter 8

Eleanor allowed Delano to guide her into the forest before she finally stopped and pulled her arm from his grip.  “Did I do something wrong?”

“Yes.”  He plowed a hand into his hair.  “You need to stop babying your sister.”

“I wasn’t babying her.”

“Yeah you were, and…”  His words died off when Eleanor’s attention jerked from him to the forest.  He watched silently as she lifted her nose and scented the air.  He followed suit.

“What is that?” Eleanor snarled.  Her gaze sliced to Delano as recognition flared in her eyes.  “Trespassers!”

Before Delano could stop her, Eleanor shifted, clothes ripping from her form before he caught a flash of auburn fur as she raced off into the forest. 

“Shit!”  Delano shifted and followed on her heels.  Annoyed that he wasn’t yet familiar enough with the territory to overtake Eleanor and lead the way, he stayed behind her and allowed his senses to heighten.  He could scent males now. He hadn’t picked up on it earlier because he wasn’t yet attuned to his surroundings.  In fact, being so new to the territory and the pack, he still hadn’t formed the bonds with his pack mates that would allow him to speak to them telepathically.  That realization had him pushing hard to get ahead of Eleanor.  They’d have no backup in this fight and he didn’t want her getting hurt.

Close on her heels, he extended his head and nipped her ankle, holding just enough to send her rolling to the ground.  As he raced past, he looked back to ensure she was uninjured.  Satisfied, he kept going knowing he’d only have a few moments to take care of the threat before Eleanor reached them.

Coming closer to the intruders, his ears picked up familiar giggling and two unfamiliar male voices.  Seconds before he reached the group, they fell silent.  They knew he was coming.

Delano barreled through the trees and launched himself into the first male he saw.  The two rolled, even as the other male shifted.  Snarls rent the air, but it didn’t keep Delano from hearing May and June pleading with him to release the male.  He didn’t.  Jaws locking and ripping, the two males fought until the second male jumped in, latching onto Delano’s back.  Teeth sunk past fur and buried into tender flesh.  Delano released the male beneath him to spin on the other, who was already running away.  Turning back to the first male, Delano saw that he too was racing away.  He took a step to give chase, but stopped as Eleanor broke through the clearing.  He knew if he pursued she’d follow, and he wouldn’t risk her attempting to take on one of the males.  Turning, he eyed her in warning, letting her know with a look that she was not to give chase, then he shifted.  Clothes re-generated with a ripple of power as he rolled his neck before eyeing the two females from his pack.

“What in the
fuck
was that about?” He jabbed his finger toward where the two males had disappeared as both May and June lowered their heads. 

“Nothing Alpha.  We…”  June faltered, and May took over.  “Visitors.  They were just visitors.”

He took a step forward, but didn’t get the chance to admonish them before Eleanor stepped from behind him and shifted.  Naked and angry, she drew his attention.  His eyes slid down her lithe frame and he had to fight to draw his gaze back to the two sisters.

Eleanor planted herself in front of May.  “Visitors?”  She asked in a near-shriek, her voice laced with incredulity.  “It’s not permitted, May.  You know this.”  She turned her attention to June.  “What were you
thinking
?”  When neither answered nor looked up, Eleanor snarled and demanded more firmly.  “WHAT IN THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?
 
We can’t have males just waltzing into the territory.  They’ll think our pack is lax, our borders unprotected.  They’ll get bold and then what’s to stop them from trying to challenge for the territory or,” her mouth went dry.  “What if they challenged Parker?”  Her hands balled into fists.  “Did either of you consider that?  They could have hurt him.  Hell, they could still come back.”

May’s head snapped up.  “They won’t.”  She flicked a glance at Delano before dropping her head again and whispering forlornly, “Not now.”

“Look,” Eleanor sighed.  “I understand your two want mates, but you
cannot
invite unknown males into our territory, not without the Alpha’s permission!”  She looked back at Delano who was standing with his arms crossed, frowning.  Putting her attention back on May and June, she knew all the talking in the world couldn’t convince these two of how foolish their decision had been.  “It’s the highest form of pack infraction.  You’ve got to learn that this type of behavior is unacceptable.”  She stepped back and looked at Delano, waiting for him to mete out his punishment.

Delano was the king of handing out punishment…when it came to males.  Uncertainty washed over him as he glanced from May and June to Eleanor and dropped his arms.  “Suggestions?”

Eleanor’s mouth fell open, and he could tell by the way she was looking at him that she hadn’t expected him to solicit her advice.  “I…uh…   Well, first thing, I’d remove them from doing anymore perimeter runs.  If they’re letting outsiders in, then they’re useless in that capacity.”

Delano nodded.  “And?”

“If they’re not doing runs then they can double down back at the house.  Bathrooms, dishes, and laundry are the most daunting.”

Both May and June groaned but quickly quieted when Delano snapped his attention to them.

“They can take on those chores for the next, ohhhh,” Eleanor canted her head.  “A month sound about right?”

“Make it two,” Delano countered.  “Anything else?”

She turned to face him.  “They need a directive from their Alpha.  They need to know that this behavior cannot be tolerated.”

He nodded and stepped past Eleanor.  “Eyes on me!”

Both heads snapped up.  Behind him, Eleanor smiled as the warm wave of his Alpha authority washed over her.

“Outsiders in my territory are forbidden.”  Delano growled.  “I do not welcome them here.  I do not
want
them here.”

Both girls nodded.

“Do it again and you’re both gone.”

June gasped and looked at May.

“Do you fucking understand?”

They nodded.

“Now get your asses back to the house and get busy doing something before I decide this punishment wasn’t enough.”

The girls raced from the clearing leaving Eleanor and Delano staring at the thick forest where they disappeared.

After a few minutes, Eleanor turned to him.  “You alright?” she gestured with her chin toward his back.

He made no indication that he even registered the wound.  “Why would they do that?”  He was pacing in front of her.  “Do they have any idea how fucking dangerous that was?”

“I suppose it’s not their fault,” Eleanor spoke softly.  “They’re young and in their prime mating years.”

“That’s bullshit,” Delano offered.  “You’re not running around inviting every wolf with a hard-on into our domain.”

A smirk tweaked her lips. “
I’m
not in my prime anymore.  We’re much older than they are.”  Her tone turned wistful. “But I remember being young and wanting a mate.”

Delano stopped pacing to stare at her.  She truly was beautiful.  “We’re not
that
old,” he scoffed.  “If anything, they are adolescents, and
we
are the only truely mature adults in this pack.”  Wolves lived longer and he was right.  While he and Eleanor were older than the pups of the pack, they were actually the only wolves in their prime.

Her response was a smile.  She’d often felt that way too, but with no other wolves near her age, it was impossible to believe…until now.  Everyone came to her for advice and with their many problems.  She felt like the pack’s den mother rather than the viable female that she was, except when Bose was making his disgusting passes or trying to intimidate her.

“So why didn’t you?” Delano prodded.

Confusion knitted her brows and drew her eyes to him.  “What?”

“Why didn’t you take a mate?”

“I did.”

Chapter 9

Eleanor’s revelation that she was mated was news to him and drew his full attention even as fierce possessiveness shot through him.  Straightening himself, he stood and looked at her, waiting for an explanation.

“I was mated to our previous pack Beta, the pack enforcer.”  Her eyes turned mournful, “He died protecting the pack shortly after we’d mated.  We were new to the territory, had just taken the area.  There were many challenges.” 

Delano swallowed hard.  He didn’t want to think of Eleanor with any other wolf.  He forced himself to ask, “Why not mate again?  You can still have pups.”

She shook her head, “I’m too old for that now.”

The comment was offensive.  One, because she wasn’t old, and two, because he was about her same age and he still often thought of taking a new mate and finally starting a family.  

“Your mate died, Eleanor, you didn’t die with him.  There’s still a lot of life left to live.”  He pinned her with serious eyes, “Live it!”

Her eyes turned mocking, “Be careful what you ask for, Dela… 
Alpha
.”  Her smile was teasing “Unless you want me inviting every wolf with a hard-on into our domain.”

He chuffed a laugh, but the thought of her inviting any male into his domain was infuriating, and not because he was worried about their presence.  No, it was one thing for the young unmated females to entice lovers and potential mates, but Eleanor was a different story.  She was his.  Claimed or not, he didn’t think he could handle having to watch her court another or worse, watch another male court her.  Even thinking about it had his damn wolf’s protective instincts surging to the fore.  He tried to convince himself that perhaps it was guilt from his initial rough treatment of her.  Regardless, he admitted he had a soft spot for her and would do what he had to do to ensure her happiness.  He owed her that much at least.  She’d kept the pack in line as best she could, and she’d helped them accept him as their leader.  He respected her deeply, but he knew it was more than that.  She was everything he would have sought out in a mate.  She was beautiful and compassionate, yet strong enough to lead.  She didn’t take any shit from the pack, but needed help in keeping them on-task.  All she really needed was an Alpha mate to complete her reign, and instead of giving her that, he’d taken the pack from her.  Regret hit hard.  She’d been through a lot, with the loss of her mate and then the loss of her Alpha.  She’d had to deal with Bose and his unwanted advances, and her sister’s incessant whining, all while trying to keep Parker in school and keeping May and June from dragging unneeded attention to the fact that the pack was leader-less. 
Was!
 

He straightened his shoulders and gripped Eleanor’s elbow, steering her back toward the house as she looked up at him in confusion.  He couldn’t speak right now.  The realization that she was everything he wanted in a mate, coupled with the knowledge that she was, in fact, meant for him, was too much to handle.  He was settling into his Alpha-hood with the pack and that was his first priority.  After that…who knew? Maybe he’d be ready to claim his mate after all. But for now she was too much, and it pissed him off because it wasn’t fair to either of them, and he damn well knew it.

***

Back at the compound, he and Eleanor went their separate ways, but it didn’t keep him from thinking of her constantly.  He had to distract himself by calling the males together and explaining the predicament May and June had caused.  Uninvited males brought into a territory without an Alpha’s permission were prone to think they’d be welcome at any time.  Delano had to put a stop to it now and warn the other males.  The females would need to be warned too.  His gut clenched at the thought of rogue males entering his new domain with the intent of taking one of his girls.  Granted, he hadn’t known them long, but that’s how he thought of them.  They were his responsibility now, and he’d be damned if he let anything happen to any one of them.  Funny though, his mind kept tripping over the thought of another male trying to stake a claim to Eleanor, and it practically gutted him. 

She was vulnerable without a mate mark and no scent of a male on her.  He knew he was an ass for worrying about her the most, but how could he not?  She was meant for him, and if he wasn’t going to accept her, then he’d at least protect her.

After his meeting with the boys, he made his way through the house and wasn’t surprised that his feet led him to Eleanor’s room.  The door was open, and she stood near the bed with her back to him, folding laundry.

Leaning in the door frame, he stilled with his arms half raised as he made to cross them over his broad chest.  His nostrils flared as he scented the room.  Eleanor’s anxiety hit him hard. Dropping his arms he asked, “What are you doing?  What’s wrong?”

When she turned to face him, he eyed the shirt in her hands that he recalled her wearing the day before.

Eleanor sighed without looking up.  “Folding this up for Riss.”

“Riss?” His brows hiked and anger shot through him as he felt Eleanor’s tension ratchet higher, her body still moving, but her soul tensing with a barely restrained full-on anxiety attack.  Watching her, scenting her, he realized she was extremely efficient at hiding her angst, but she couldn’t hide it from him.  He was as attuned to her as he was to his wolf. 

His eyes jerked back to the shirt in her hands.  He remembered it because he’d remembered how good she looked in it.  “Isn’t that
your
shirt?

Eleanor heaved a reluctant sigh.  “It
was
.”

“Was?”

She flashed him a humorless smile.  “When Riss wants something she’s like a dog with a bone.  Best to give in to her now than listen to her tell me how bad I look in it for the next few months.”

His anger swelled, and he realized he was equally upset with Riss and Eleanor.  He braced his arms on either side of the door frame.  “Is that how this works?  She pouts and gets what she wants?”

Eleanor’s delicate brows speared down.  “She’s my little sister, Delano.  I don’t expect you to understand.”

Dropping his arms, he stepped into the room.  “Oh, I understand perfectly.  For the sake of avoiding an insult or an argument, you’re willing to just give in.”

Eleanor’s hands curled into fists in the soft fabric of the shirt.  “I’m not afraid of an insult.”

“Then what?” he challenged.  “You afraid of Riss?”

She chuffed a laugh.  “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Then what?”  He was right on her now, forcing her to drop her hands and step back to avoid touching him.  “Why give in?  Why let her bully you?”

“She’s not bullying m…”

“SHE IS!”

The shouted declaration had Eleanor startling.  Then it was her turn to get mad.  She reclaimed the step she’d forfeited and scowled up at Delano.  “It’s not about being bullied or giving in!  I’m trying to give her some small piece of happiness.  She’s endured much in her short life, and if I can do one small thing to make her forget the loss of our parents, and the fact that I’ve been too preoccupied with securing a pack for her to raise her as I should, then so be it.”  Her eyes were sparking with fury as her chest heaved.  “And quite frankly, it’s none of your damn business how I interact with my family.”  She attempted to sidestep him with intentions of stalking from the room when strong hands gripped her arms and forced her back against the wall.

Delano frowned down at her as he pushed harder to trap her between his body and the wall.  “It
is
my damn business.  You are both a part of
my
pack, and I won’t have you going without just because that spoiled little brat sees something
you
have that
she
wants.  Tell me, what does she do with all the clothes you’ve given her?”  He watched as Eleanor tried to lower her head to hide her eyes.  He wasn’t having it.  Lifting a hand, he collared her throat and let his Alpha authority wash over her.  “Tell me!”

Eleanor licked her lips.  Her heart was racing a mile-a-minute and her stupid wolf was reacting to the nearness of him.  She chalked it up to the fact that he was the first male wolf she’d met that truly acted like a dominant.  It was sexy as hell.

“
Eleanor!
”  He warned.

Her shoulders rose and fell with resignation.  “She wears them once and then I never see them again.”

“And why is that?”

She shook her head and frowned.  “I don’t know.”

“I do.”  He released his hold on her throat.  “It’s because when she sees you looking beautiful,” he dropped his eyes to her chest, “she assumes that it’s your clothes.  She wants the clothes because she wants to look like you.”  He pulled his eyes back to hers.  “She can’t pull it off and still hasn’t realized that it’s not the clothes that make you so attractive.  It’s your personality, your character.  You’re a beautiful woman, Eleanor, inside as well as out.  Riss wants that.  Naively, she thinks that if she wears what you wear, she’ll look how you look.  But it’s not about the clothes.  Your beauty comes from within and your willingness to literally give the shirt off your back is a testament to that.”

She blushed hard at his words              and looked away from him.  Her body was growing warm in all the places his body was pressed into hers, and all his talk about her
beauty
was embarrassing.

Tilting his head, Delano frowned.  “Are you kidding?  You don’t know?”

She tried to jerk from his hold, but he pressed more firmly into her, keeping her in place.

“Has no one ever told you how beautiful you are?”  His words were reverent and had her squirming.

“Please stop,” she whispered, without looking at him.

“Hell no!  Not until you hear what all these fucking fools have failed to tell you.”  He let go of one of her arms to grab her chin and force her eyes to his.  “I dare say you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”  He shook his head in disbelief.  “No one’s ever told you this? 
Ever
?”

Her eyes grew sad.  “My mate.  When he was alive.”  She snorted.  “Now, Riss calls me ‘thunder thighs’.  And Bose says…”  She stalled unsure whether she should make the admission.

“What?” he demanded.

“Bose says I’d be “do-able” if I dropped fifteen pounds.”

Delano saw red. 
Fifteen pounds!
  What was that idiot even looking at?  “Well, Bose is a fucking moron and your sister is so damn jealous of you that she can’t even see straight.  And as for your thighs…”

He pressed harder into her and Eleanor gasped as she felt the unmistakable ridge of his erection.

A growl rumbled up from his chest at her reaction and he lifted a hand to smooth it down her cheek.

Eleanor let her head fall back against the wall and closed her eyes tightly as she whispered a breathy, “Alpha?”  She was fighting the urge to wrap herself around him, but she couldn’t do that. 
They
couldn’t do
this
. 

“I don’t know how to get you to stand up for yourself without losing you to it.  Already I see you trying to be something you’re not.”

She kept her eyes closed and just listened as he continued to hold her pinned to the wall, stroking her cheek.

“I know you need to be hard, and you try, but you’re also a giver.  Sensitivity is a sign of compassion, a sign of truly living, a sign of life.  I can’t help but envy those like you who refuse to be hardened by life’s trials and tribulations.  The rest of us have this hideously cynical approach to life.  We’d be lucky to care so much about
anything. 
Your problem though is that you’re too kind and wearing armor that doesn’t suit you.  You try to be so hard, so strong.  Tenderness is mighty, Eleanor.  Embrace that. 
Be
that.  It’s what makes you so rare, so beautiful.  A compassionate Alpha isn’t something to dismiss. ” 

She wanted to pull away from him and his declaration but couldn’t muster the action when something in her warmed at the words. 

As if sensing her thoughts, Delano jerked back.  One second his warmth was pressing into her and the next he was gone.  Eleanor remained as she was for long moments, leaning back into the wall, eyes closed before letting her head fall forward and slowly opening her eyes to stare at her empty room. 
What.  In.  The.  Fuck?

Something was happening between them. It was both exhilarating and terrifying because he’d already declared he didn’t want her, which meant that with the feelings coursing through her, she was in danger of shredding her heart…
again!
  It wasn’t something she could afford.