Wolves for the Bears: Book 5, Grey Wolf Pack Romance Novellas (14 page)

Chapter Twelve

Mac clutched the phone in her hand.  She wanted to call Andy.  She had wanted to call him every five minutes since he left her bed that morning. 
She ached to see him again
.

They had spent all night making love and getting to know one another and she did have to admit she was a teeny but tired
, not to mention sore. But just the thought of her mate had her sex waking up and quivering in anticipation.

She was worri
ed about him.  Knowing what she did about his clan had her on edge, the thought of him going back there and possibly being in danger had her jittery.  And, although she was trying her damndest to ignore it, she couldn’t help but be a tiny bit green-eyed of Andy going away with his wife.

Yes she knew that Andy was bonded to her, yes she knew it was a sham marriage and yes she knew that Esther was
mated to her pack mate but... the crazy irrational part of her brain still didn’t want to believe that.

Luckily she had the day off work. 
Or unluckily depending on how you looked at it. 
At work she might have had something to take her mind off Andy, but if it had been a quiet day she would have spent the whole day mooning over him.

Maybe she could just send a text message.  But what to say? 
I’m missing you already?  Please come home?  I don’t like you hanging around with your wife?  I’m horny?!

Mac grunted in annoyance.
  She had already cleaned her house top to bottom, cleaned out her wardrobe filling up three bags for charity of clothes she no longer wore and alphabetised her book collection.

What to do?
 
Her wolf yelped wagging her tale.  Of course!  She could go for a nice long run.  Letting her beast rove free always cleared her mind.

She stepped out onto her porch quickly stripping out of her clothes she stashed them in the wooden box outside her door, kept for just that purpose.  Her flesh broke out in goose bumps
as she stretched her arms and danced on the spot for a few seconds, shaking her limbs out.

She took a couple of deep breaths and then shuddered as her body transformed into a large grey wolf.
  She padded off the porch swishing her tail.

She let out a soft long howl before
bounding off into a fast run.  Trees whizzed past as she sped up, enjoying the feeling of the soft earth under her paws.

She pushed herself faster and faster
, her legs straining with the exertion.  Finally she found herself coming to a small clearing.  She slowed to a leisurely trot, her muscles burning from the workout.

She panted heavily and sniffed the
air.  The delicious scent of Andy assaulted her.  She looked around.  She’d come to the same clearing where she and Andy first had sex.  The wolf howled in delight, thinking of that night.

She loped over to the tree
, the infamous tree Andy had pushed her against whilst he took her.  She shuddered remembering the feeling of him plunging inside her for the very first time. 
It was electric
.

She
rubbed herself against it, bathing herself in the lingering scent of Andy and their lovemaking.

She was broken out of her reverie by the sounds of another animal approaching.  She stilled as the footfalls came nearer.  Gingerly sniffing the air she wrinkled her nose. 
It was Luke
.

He stalked into view, circling round her.
  He was a pale grey with unusual reddish amber eyes, and was significantly larger than herself.   Her muscles tensed, hoping he would just pass through and go on his way. 
Fat chance
.

Luke bared his fangs at her.  She lifted her muzzle and stood her ground.
  Huffing his frame quivered as he shifted to his human form.

He was kneeling, staring at her intently.
  “Shift Delilah, I need to talk to you.”

She hesitated
.  Luke did kind of have a temper yet... he had never hurt her before.  Even he wouldn’t be dumb enough to try anything with the Alpha’s sister, would he?  Deciding quickly, she shifted and stood before him.

He slowly rose raking his eyes appreciatively over every inch of her body.  His eyes glazed in lust.
  She shivered at the unwanted attention.

Looking back at him she saw his gaze was riveted to her neck, his face slowly reddening as fury stole over him.
 
He’d seen her bonding mark
.

He pointed to her neck. 
“What the fuck is that?”  He yelled.

She wavered, he looked madder than she had ever seen him
.  It definitely wasn’t a good idea to be out here alone with him
.  “It’s a bonding mark...”

“Who the fuck did you bond with?”  He screamed, spitting in his rage.

She trembled slightly, and her wolf was yapping frantically.  Every instinct she had told her she was in danger, she needed to get away from him. 
Pronto
.

“My true mate.”  She said quietly.

He was only a few feet away from her.  If she ran on foot he would catch her within seconds.  If she shifted and ran it might surprise him and would buy her a few more seconds, but he would catch up with her soon enough.  Perhaps someone else might be passing through... this secluded area...
she didn’t hold out too much hope on that one
.

His eyes blazed the reddish amber, making him look even more menacing.
  “It was that fucking bear wasn’t it?  How could you do that?  I thought you were better than that.  He’s a married man!”

She wanted to shout, to scream at him and tell him he didn’t understand, but she didn’t dare incense him any further.  She forced herself to remain cool.
  “Andy and his wife are no longer together.”  She said shortly.

He ignored her
, stepping closer to her and gesturing wildly.  “And a bear?  Are you insane, mating out of your species?  What will happen when you have children?  You could give birth to a bear!  You could be the mother of a bear for fucks sake!”

“So what!”  She yelled hotly. 
So much for remaining cool
.

“So what?!  It’s fucking unnatural, that’s what!”

Her wolf was snarling at the slight to her mate and their future children.  “I don’t care what you think.  I love Andy and he loves me and we’re bonded.  I’m sorry if your feelings are hurt Luke but there’s nothing I can do about that.  I never promised you
anything
, you’ve no right to expect
anything
from me. 

Luke smiled at her nastily making her tingle fearfully.
  “Love?”  He spat the word at her.  “It’s not love, it’s just the mating pull making you think it’s love.  It’s not real, it’s just a trick that nature pulls in order to force you into mating.  What we had, what we can still have is love.  And it’s better than us being true mates because we chose each other, we found each other on our own.  Nothing made us love each other and that makes what we have purer.”

She scoffed
, unable to hold back she started shouting.  “You’re delusional Luke.  We were kids who dated for a little while.  That’s it!  I thought I loved you once but that’s changed now.  Me and Andy are going to be together forever and there’s nothing you can do about it!”

He smirked at her. 
“Nothing?”

He moved a step closer and to his visible displeasure instinctively she stepped backwards.

“If we bonded then you’d be mine...”

A wave of ic
e cold terror washed through her body.  “You can’t, I’m already bonded to Andy.  It... it wouldn’t work.”

He took another step. 
“You don’t see it but I’m doing this for your own good.  Wolves and bears they just... they don’t belong together.  You belong with a wolf, you belong with me.”  He smiled manically.

God he was losing it
. 
“No Luke you can’t do this... please don’t do this... there’s no point it can’t work.”

“We have to try Delilah.” 

She tried to lunge away from him but he grabbed her arms, slamming her back against the tree.  Her and Andy’s tree.  Her head smashed against the bark violently, her vision swam for a few seconds.

Recovering quickly she squirmed in his grip and with lightening speed kicked her legs connecting with a very tender area. 
Yes, bullseye!  Right in his manhood.
  He oofed and doubled over.  Pushing him away she started sprinting away and jumping in the air she shifted.

She ran as fast as she could, she sensed him following but dare not look back. 
The thought of what he would do to her when he caught her...  It spurred her on, she willed herself to move faster.

Yes, her house was in sight!  She was almost there, just a few more...  Roughly she was knocked to the ground
, her head brutally banging on the ground.

She whimpered softly as Luke’s wolf loomed over her,
eyes burning...

*

Andy and Esther were on their way back to Rose.

After the nervous build up their visit back to the clan had been anti-climactic.
  Apart from finding out that her father had died nothing much had happened.

The death rites had been read and Ab
le’s body had been laid out on the pyre.  The clan’s enforcers were tasked with guarding the pyre until their former leader’s body turned fully to ash.  There was nothing more to do.

They had said a few desultory goodbyes to a few clan members they used to be close to, none of
whom seemed happy to see the pair again or sad that they were leaving so quickly.  Joan gave them both an awkward hug, Abraham nodded brusquely.  Now they were on their way home, keen to wash away the sorrow from visiting such an unhappy place.  Keen to see their mates, keener still to finally be with their mates.  No more pretending, they could be proper couples at last.

Esther’s phone chirruped.
  Looking at the phone she beamed, looking happy for the first time that day.  She quickly answered and began telling Felicity about what had happened.  Andy could hear Felicity making soothing noises and clucking her tongue in annoyance at Esther’s brother.

Andy smiled, maybe he should call Mac.  Hearing her sweet voice would
appease his bear, who had barely stopped shaking with rage.

Awkwardly he fished his phone out
and speed dialled her.  She didn’t answer.  He tried her home phone.  Still no answer.  He was assuaged with worry.

He shook his head.  No that was silly
.  She could be at work, god knows she could be chasing after a naked bull shifter and unable to answer her phone.  There was no reason to worry,
right?

He knew he was too far away from his mate to really connect to her but he tried anyway, he pushed his mind to test their bond.
  Nothing.  He groaned. 
Bonds generally relied on closeness, it wasn’t like making a long distance phone call.

He tried calling her again.  And again.  And again.  No answer.
  He was suddenly assailed by a surge of terror and pain.  Dimly he thought he could hear his mate screaming for help. 
No that wasn’t possible was it?  He must be imagining it...

He ground his foot down on the accele
rator.  He needed to get home now. 

Esther broke away from her phone conversation.  “What’s wrong?”

He shook his head agitatedly.  “I don’t know... maybe nothing... I just have a bad feeling about Mac... I can’t get her on the phone...”  He chewed on his lip.

Esther returned to her phone call.  “Felicity, Can you do me a favour?  Can you check on Mac, Andy’s worried... yes please... we should be home soon... yes call me when you find her... thanks darling... I love you too.”

She ended the call.  “Don’t worry Felicity’s on it, she’s an excellent tracker, she’s training to be an Enforcer.”  Esther’s told him proudly.  “Wherever Mac is she’ll find her.”

“Thanks.  I just...
I just have a really bad feeling
.”

Chapter
Thirteen

Felicity peered through Mac’s front window.  It was dark and peaceful inside the house.  She’d tried knocking but no answer.  Mac’s scent lingered strongly, she was certain the other wolf was still in the area.

Felicity had found Mac’s clothes and cell phone in her wooden box next to the door.  It was unlikely Mac would go out in her skin form without her cell phone.  Most likely she was out running as her wolf.

It had started to rain, a soft drizzle was beating down. 
Wolves hated rain
.  Either Mac had found some cover or she was winding her way back here.  Felicity herself had come to the house in her wolf form, planning on scrounging some clothes from Mac. 
It was kind of a common thing in the pack to lend each other clothes.

Felicity’s head
jerked as she heard a low moan, followed by a few grunts. 
It kind of sounded like Mac
.  It was coming from round the back of the house.

Whoever it was probably didn’t know
Felicity was there, the sound of a car would have been noticeable, but a lone wolf wasn’t.  And the rain made it harder to decipher scents.

Moving quickly and quietly she
made her way round the back of the house in the direction of the noises.  She heard a male yelp.  Mac’s scent became stronger, it was mixed with that of a male.  She recognised the scent as belonging to that of her pack mate Luke.

Her wolf howled when she scented blood. 
Mac’s blood
.

Peering round the corner of the house
she was startled to see Mac and Luke struggling.  Mac was kneeling on the ground, she was struggling to try and stand up.  Her face was smeared with blood, it looked like Luke had hit her several times.

He was towering over her clutching her arms trying to push her down.  His muscles were taut
and straining with the effort to control the livid she-wolf beneath him.  His mouth was set in a grim line and his eyes blazed.

Felicity quickly considered her options.  She didn’t have time to call anyone for help.
  She needed to act fast.  Luke was a lot stronger than Mac, he was seriously going to hurt her.

Pushing off the porch she leapt through the air
shifting into her wolf form.  She bolted towards them and jumped at Luke.  Just before she did he caught sight of her and started turning, a look of surprise on his face.  He let go off Mac, letting her fall to the ground as he tried to defend himself.

Luke hit out at Felicity sending her off course, she aimed to snap her jaws round his neck immobilising him but instead she
locked on to his shoulder.  He screamed in pain and fell backwards under the weight of her.

Felicity dug her fangs into him as he struggled, she felt his flesh tear.
  After a few moments she felt his tissue ripple, and she tasted fur.  He shifted to his wolf.   Roaring he ripped his shoulder out of her bite and using his good shoulder thrust her out of the way.

She stumbled and snarled at him.  Without hesitating
Luke sped away into the woods, limping slightly.  Felicity started after him but hearing Mac’s soft moan changed her mind.

She shifted and knelt by Mac.  Her face was bloody and there were claw marks up and down her body where Luke had pierced her whilst trying to subdue her but she would be okay.  She would soon heal thanks to her shifter genes.

“You okay?”

Mac blinked a few times and sat up.  “I think so... is he gone?”

“Yeah, come on.  We need to tell the Alpha.”

Felicity helped her to her feet, Mac leaned on her heavily as they went into the house.
 
She really wasn’t looking forward to what came next.

*

Adam surveyed his pack members. 

After Felicity had phoned him and told him of the attack on his sister he had practically hit the roof.
  If it weren’t for his mate Rosalee he doubted he would have been able to contain himself, he wanted to tear off his clothes and hunt the fucker Luke down.

Instead, after some soothing words from Rosalee, he had gone to see his sister and made sure she was okay.  He dispatched his Beta Alec
and Acksel his Chief Enforcer to hunt Luke down and bring him to the clearing for judgement.

Not since his father had been in charge had a pack member
behaved in such a way.  Forcing a she-wolf to bond was reprehensible.  Adam shook with rage.  He was so grateful to Felicity for stopping Luke.  He didn’t know how he would have coped if Luke had raped and bitten her. 
Not to mention how Mac would have been.

She was a little anxious but otherwise okay, and the wounds she had received were superficial.  They were already starting to heal.

It had taken Adam and Acksel no time at all to find Luke. 
He was at his house, not even trying to hide
.  Adam had quickly called a pack meeting at the clearing.  Mandatory for everyone of shifting age to attend.

He stood before his pack
, his face was hard. They were curious and whispered between themselves.  It was rare for Adam to call an emergency meeting.  They were even more questioning of why their pack mate Luke was kneeling before the Alpha flanked by the Beta and Chief Enforcer.

Mac stood off to the side of him with Rosalee and Liv.  Luke was staring in her direction but she pointedly looked everywhere but at him.

Adam held up a hand for silence and immediately a hush descended over the gathered group.  “My fellow pack mates, you are here today to witness the punishment of one of our pack.  Earlier today our pack mate Luke Renfield assaulted the she-wolf Delilah Grey and tried to force her to bond with him.”

Adam stopped for a few seconds as a number of wolves gasped and they murmured between themselves in shock.
  Adam growled throatily and they were silenced.

“It has been many years since such a heinous and barbaric act has been perpetrated against a she-wolf.  It is my belief that there should be no mercy shown for someone who would commit this act.
  Luke do you have anything to say?”

Adam cast his angry
glower in Luke’s direction, a ripple of fear spread throughout the rest of the pack.  They had never seen such violent rage evident on the man’s face.  They were stunned that Luke did not even flinch.

Luke stood up, Alec and Acksel tensed ready to attack should the younger wolf try anything stupid.
  He glared at the Alpha.  His voice was strong, showing no evidence of any fear.  “I did it for her own sake.”

Some of the pack shouted in outrage and jeered at him.  Undeterred he continued.  “Delilah mated with a married bear.”

Now the pack looked at Mac in frank curiosity.  She wilted a little under their scrutiny.

“She made a bad decision and I was trying to set it right, she’s a wolf, she should never have mated with a bear.  It’s unnatural!”  Luke roared and bared his fangs.

Adam roared at him more fiercely and Luke quietened and looked at the ground sullenly.  He had little respect for his Alpha but he still submitted under a show of dominance... just.

Adam held still, his muscles quivering as his wolf bellowed in his head for release.
  “If Delilah has chosen to mate a bear that is her choice and hers alone.  Any member of my pack is free to mate with whoever they choose, whether they be wolf, human, witch or any other kind of shifter.  We are not bound to mate only wolves.  Your actions are inexcusable.  According to our rules you have two choices.  You may either stay here and endure a fight to the death, if you win you would be free to stay in the pack for as long as you choose.  Or you can choose to leave today and never return.  You would be banished from ever setting foot in Rose again, and if you did you would face immediate death.”

“And who would I fight?”  Demanded Luke cockily.

Adam looked at him with grim satisfaction.  “As Delilah’s only living male relative it would be me.”  Adam was just dying to get his claws into the little bastard. 

“No!”  Rumbled a loud deep voice. 

The crowd parted as Andy strode through purposefully.  He came to stand before the Alpha and inclined his head in submission. 
If he was going to be Mac’s mate he had to get used to deferring to him sooner or later. 
Adam stared at him uncertainly.

“As Delilah’s mate it would be me.” 

Andy trembled with rage.  Felicity had called Esther and told her what happened.  Andy had roared so loud the frame of Esther’s car had shook.  He had pushed her to car to breaking point racing back.  He so desperately wanted to be the one to hunt Luke down, he had been too late for that but he would settle for fighting him.  His bear was itching to be set free.

Andy looked at his mate and her face lit up.  He smiled goofily but remembering the matter in hand turned back to Luke and sneered.
  He drew himself up to his full height, muscles bulging.  “Do you want to fight me wolf?”

Luke
glared at him with hatred.  More than anything Luke did want to fight him, but he also knew he couldn’t win.  If he was fighting another wolf then maybe he could have... but Andy’s beast was a lot bigger and a lot more aggressive and Luke’s shoulder was injured.  He didn’t really want to die...

Luke spat on the floor.
  “No I don’t, she’s not worth it.”  He inclined his head toward Mac.  “The bitch is all yours.”

Andy and his bear howled and frenziedly leaped onto the smaller man, hitting and punching him.  Vaguely he was aware of the Alpha, the Beta and three Enforcers hurling him away.  Acksel stood next to Luke who was doubled over on the ground clutching his head, Acksel clamped a hand on his shoulder to make sure he didn’t try to sneak away.  Luke yelped,
whoops that might have been his injured shoulder...
  Andy could swear that he saw a flicker of a smirk on Acksel’s face.

Mac came over and folded her arms round Andy, trying to calm him.
  Andy was panting heavily and his eyes turned darkest black, he wanted to get to Luke and finish what he started but... after a few murmured words from his mate he soon allowed himself to relax into her embrace instead.

Adam folded his arms as he stared hard at
Luke.  “You have made your choice, you have thirty minutes to leave Rose.  You are never to return here, is that understood?”

Luke pursed his lips.  Adam roared at him again.  “I said is that understood?!”

“Yes.”  Luke hissed.

Adam motioned to the three Enforce
rs.  “See that he is gone within thirty minutes.”

Luke stood up painfully and st
arted limping through the crowd, ignoring the looks of disgust and taunts of his old pack mates.

Adam watched his progress.  When he was finally gone he went over to Mac and Andy, who were virtually plastered to each other.
  “So, you two are mated then?”

“Yes, we bonded.”  Said Mac hesitantly.

“And your wife Andy?  How does she feel about this?”  Asked Adam with a little more force than he intended.

“Ask her yourself.”  Andy nodded his head in the direction of Felicity and Esther who
were coming towards him, holding hands.

Adam looked between the four of them in confusion.  “I’ll bet there’s an explanation here isn’t there?”

Mac smiled at her older brother.  “Mmmm hmmm, definitely.”

Adam’s jaw ticked.  “Well it’s been a long day and it’s getting late, I’ll hear it tomorrow.”

“Thank you.”  Said Mac gratefully.

Adam moved to kiss his sister but when Andy started growling he thought better of it and moved away to address the pack instead.  He started speaking but Mac didn’t listen.

She curled herself into his body more tightly.  “Thank god you’re back.”  She whispered.

“I’m never going anywhere, this time I’m here to stay.”