“Say again?”
The Beta’s eyes turned gold. “You heard me.”
“You met a couple of days ago and you didn’t mention anything about it.” As soon as Jackson spoke, he realized Declan hadn’t said anything either way. Perhaps he had known but hadn’t felt inclined to share. “Why’s that?”
“Because I didn’t think it was possible,” Declan grumbled. “I was wrong.”
The vague response created more questions than answers. “Care to explain?”
“I was attracted to the female but I assumed there was nothing more to it. Since I haven’t exactly had time to get laid, I blew it off as pent-up steam. We know how rare it is for a wolf to mate with a human.”
More than rare. The occurrence was almost unheard of. It was the primary reason Jackson hadn’t considered Chloe might be part human before they met in the flesh. Mating with humans came with all sorts of problems.
“Are you certain?”
“I’m positive. We paid each other a visit in our dreams last night.”
Well hell. No wonder Declan looked like shit. Dreamsharing could be intense, especially the first time. Jackson summoned up the memory of the female who’d looked like she wanted to bust his balls when Chloe had introduced them.
“You’re sure it’s Rachel?”
“I’m sure.” Declan ran his fingers through his hair. “Since we’ve met and a connection was established, I was able to see her face.”
“Did she know the dream was being shared?” Chloe hadn’t had time to discuss important details about their mating—at least he didn’t think she had—with her friend. “Do you think she understands what it means?”
“I’m not sure.”
“You didn’t think about discussing the topic with her? Jesus, Declan. Tell me you didn’t let your dick cloud your judgment. The first experience with your female can make or break a mating. If you started things off on the wrong foot, you’re fucked.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” the Beta snarled, flashing his pointed canines. “She wouldn’t let me get anywhere near her, since you’re so goddamn curious. Each time I got close she’d skip to another place in her mind. It was like she could change her dreams at will. I spent the majority of the night trying to keep up.” Declan lowered his hand, shaking his head. “I need your permission to initiate her into the pack.”
“Shit.”
If he gave his blessing as Alpha, Declan would have full rights to Rachel. No one could interfere—including Chloe. His female would kill him if he allowed a werewolf male to stake a claim to and change her friend—especially if Rachel wasn’t given a choice. It wasn’t unheard of for a male to bite a woman when she denied a mating bond. Once his saliva entered her bloodstream, the change would start. The connection a human made with their wolven half was absolute.
Even if Rachel hated Declan, the wolf inside her wouldn’t turn him away.
“Are you sure that’s what you want to do?” It wasn’t the best way to establish a mating. If his Beta wasn’t careful he could end up with a mate who hated him. “Have you considered doing this the human way?”
Declan’s eyes narrowed. “Would I be here if I wasn’t?”
Answering questions with questions always annoyed him but he was willing to let his pack mate slide. “Chloe won’t be happy.”
Declan snorted. “Neither will Just Rachel. I shouldn’t have given you shit about having your hands full with your mate.”
“Just Rachel?”
“Long story. Don’t worry about it.” Declan lifted his shoulders, standing straight. “Do I have your permission? I can proceed without it, but I’d rather not.”
There was the bitch of it. Declan could proceed without asking. If necessary he could leave the pack, claim and change his female and spread the word that he was searching for a place to call home. The Beta had a solid reputation as both a man and a wolf. He wouldn’t have a problem finding another pack. Human police wouldn’t get involved, not in matters like these. It was too dangerous—too personal. Although they liked to believe they were in control, when it came to pack matters they stayed the fuck out of Dodge.
“I’ll agree, but there are conditions.” After Declan nodded Jackson said, “You’ll need to take a leave of absence during Rachel’s first moon. I don’t want to fight with my mate about what you’ve done or what it means for her friend. I expect our involvement to be minimal.”
Declan considered the words and slowly nodded. “What else?”
“You need to prepare a pack member to take your place while you’re gone.”
“I can do that.”
Releasing a deep breath, Jackson finished, “And I’d like to ask that you try to do this properly, without changing her. Give Rachel a chance to accept you as she is. I owe Chloe that much.”
“How long?”
“A month.”
If Rachel didn’t accept his advances within a month, Declan’s bite to get the process started would ensure she had thirty days to deal with the changes in her body before her first full moon. He hoped to hell that it didn’t come down to that. Chloe would be pissed, Rachel would be out for blood and Jackson would be smack dab in the fucking middle.
“Starting today?” Declan clarified.
Time to put a nail in the coffin. “Starting today.”
“Done.”
Declan extended his hand and Jackson accepted it.
A firm shake sealed the deal.
There was no going back.
Normally Jackson wouldn’t have felt bad about a human who found him or herself mated to a werewolf. Circumstances had changed his reasoning. Rachel—from what he gathered—had a few issues to sort through. The woman hadn’t been friendly, bordering on hostile. Chloe had done her best to alleviate the tension but he’d known Rachel had complied only to appease her friend, not because she’d wanted to.
Jackson let go and took a step back. “Don’t breathe a word of this to the pack. When you arrange a replacement, you can say you’re doing some work out of state. No one needs details. If Chloe finds out what you’re up to she’ll tell Rachel. I won’t come between them.”
“I’ll talk to Shane after the hunt.”
Shane? Now that was news.
Declan was friendly with the newest member of the pack but he had never seemed overly fond of Jackson’s choice to take Shane into their fold. Jackson had known Shane was powerful enough to be a Beta or Alpha. Why he hadn’t chosen that path was anyone’s guess. The male didn’t like to discuss his past. Despite that, Jackson wanted to give the rogue a chance. Anyone who went from being alone to searching for a pack couldn’t be all bad.
“Shane’s a solid choice. He’s not likely to talk about what’s going on. The last thing we need in the pack is gossip.”
“My sentiments exactly.”
The door cracked open and Chloe peeked outside. She’d thrown on his T-shirt. Her hair was tangled, her cheeks rosy from sleep. When she saw Declan her face turned a tempting shade of red.
“I thought I heard voices,” she explained in a rush, keeping the door from revealing too much of her body. “I’ll go back inside and let you two talk.”
Declan gave her a sideways grin. “We’re done. He’s all yours.”
Jackson wanted to laugh when her cheeks became redder. She probably thought Declan knew what he’d said to her the night before. Standing so Declan’s view of Chloe was obstructed, Jackson said, “I’ll see you tonight.”
“Yes, you will.”
Declan swept down the porch, retrieved a small satchel he’d placed on the bottom step and started walking down the driveway. Jackson knew the Beta would find a safe spot, shuck the clothes and return to from where he’d come from. Most werewolves turned to their beast when they needed to unwind. Declan was no different. Hopefully the shift and a hard run would clear his head and put things in perspective. He had a feeling Rachel would have Declan’s ass if he came at her looking like a shaggy, sleep-deprived hobbit.