Michael came up behind her, helping her with the final moments and together they enjoyed their breakfast. When it was over, she was full and tired. Moving forward, she banged her head into Michael’s side. He smelled so … right.
He knocked his head into hers making a low sound in his throat. Yes, this was contentment. She lay down as Michael stood protectively at her side. The breeze off the Atlantic cooled her down.
A scent hit her nostrils and she jumped up. There was no question as to who it belonged to: Tristan.
Her wolf knew her Alpha. Whimpering, she lay flat on the ground as Nero had taught them to do in his presence. It was the only way she knew how to show respect.
“She does it too?”
Tristan’s voice filled her head as long as well as Michael’s laughter.
“Tristan saw that behavior over and over last night at the swearing in. We’ve asked everyone not to do that.”
“I never really got to greet my new sister-in-law and then I smelled you guys out here. Thought maybe I could help with the deer, but you’ve done just fine without my slow interference.”
“You’re not slow.” Michael scoffed. “You never could be.”
“I will be if everyone keeps me out of every challenge.”
“Ah.” Michael’s laughter again. “I heard you were upset about that. You can’t expect the pack to lose you. You’re too important.”
“So I’m supposed to let everyone I care about go down over and over again while I watch?”
“You’re supposed to lead us.”
“That’s why I should be first through the door in danger.”
“No,” Michael growled. “Your magic sustains us. We will keep you safe and you will keep us whole.”
Scarlett watched the exchange in awe. Michael challenged Tristan’s desire and Tristan took it and even seemed to listen to him.
“I need to ask you something.”
“Anything, my Alpha.”
“I ask you as my oldest brother, not as your Alpha.”
Michael howled at the sky and Scarlett knew that meant yes. It was amazing how many things she understood that she never had before.
“If something were to happen to me—.”
It won’t.”
Tristan spoke over Michael’s interruption. “If something were, I want you to hold the pack as you did before. Hold it for Braden until he comes of age. You did it for me. Do it again.”
Michael lowered himself beneath Tristan, looking down.
Scarlett swallowed both in her human and wolf form. Michael had agreed. She knew what that cost him. He never wanted to be supreme Alpha wolf again and yet for his brother, his Alpha, he would. This time she howled at the sky, in tribute to her mate who was everything, who filled her life.
Some moments were meant to be had as wolves.
Chapter Thirteen
Michael watched Scarlett dress herself. Lounging on the bed, he wondered if with forty-five new wolves to train, if it would be appropriate to spend the whole day making love to his mate and running in the woods. He was about to suggest it when the first crash sounded.
Scarlett gasped as Michael ran to the window. Fire.
“Oh damn it.”
The woods where they’d been earlier, Tristan possibly still was, were ablaze.
“What is it?”
“Fire bomb. We’re under attack and Tristan is out there alone.”
She visibly paled. He pushed away the panic he felt. Tristan alone, Scarlett so untrained. There was no time for nerves. He was an Alpha wolf. He would handle this.
“Go down to the basement. Most of the women and children will gather there. Stay there.
Hurry.”
He ran for the door opening up his telepathic senses to pick up information. Things were chaotic, lots of people talking at once. None of them knew where Tristan was and so far the Alpha wasn’t answering.
Damn.
Must protect our Alpha. His wolf was right.
“Michael.” A sob wretched through Scarlett’s voice and he whirled around.
She rushed to him, kissing him hard on the lips. “Be safe.”
“You too.”
He kissed her again trying to keep his veneer of nonchalance.
It wasn’t “goodbye”. It was “see you later”. He rounded the corner at a run.
Sending out the message to the group, he ran for the outdoors, staying in his human form. He needed to assess the situation before he decided if he should shift.
“Tristan’s in the woods.”
He heard Cullen curse and Theo slam something. They all knew what that meant, especially with Gabriel and Rex off-island, fewer hands to help in a crisis.
“I’m almost into the trees. Cullen, get the new wolves somewhere away from most of the fighting. I don’t want them involved unless it’s a crisis—they’re totally ill prepared.
Then get yourself into the woods. I don’t know how many are out there.”
He heard the newest members’ objections and tuned them out. There was too much to do. Where there was fire, there were almost always miscreant wolves. He’d been told Azriel had found a way to keep them alive and turn them back, but not how to stop them from being created. Kendrick Kane had an endless army.
“Theo, you and Malcolm and some of the Alphas get into the woods and get these flames out. I don’t want them hiding from us in the smoke.”
Gods knew they were hard enough to handle when you could smell them.
“Az?”
“I’m here, Michael.”
Up until yesterday, Az had been on medical leave.
“Are you up for this?”
“Always. You’ve got to get Tristan.”
“I will. There will be wolves to test your product on. Maybe you’ll save some.”
Michael would save Tristan.
His heart beat fast as ran on silent feet. Sniffing the air, he scented his brother Tristan a distance away. Locating his scent didn’t make Michael feel better as there was still nothing from their supreme Alpha over their general link. That meant bad news, one way or another.
Theo spoke in his head. “Michael, I’ve sent Faith down to guard the women and children. Ashlee is frantic, she can’t reach Tristan.”
“Tell her I’ve spotted him and I’m going for him now.”
He wasn’t going to open himself up to Ashlee’s pain or her communication. It would be too distracting right now. It might too easily bring on thoughts of Scarlett.
Finally, he sent his location to Cullen. If something went wrong, the other man would come and get Tristan. That was the most important thing. Scarlett’s face appeared before his eyes and he pushed it away. For the pack, Tristan was key; for Michael, there was no question it was Scarlett.
He’d pick her. He knew that and what’s more, Tristan knew it because supreme Alpha or no he would pick Ashlee hands down. That’s what Gabriel had been talking about on the dock.
It was different now. Michael couldn’t go kidnapping people. He had to stay here, he always would.