Evan smacked him lightly on the side of the head. “Go. And don’t forget to release the Canyon wolves. We’ll see you later.”
Amy stepped forward before Shaun could disappear. “If I hear you’ve been unnecessarily rough with any of them, I won’t be pleased.”
“What will you do? Send me to my room without supper?” Shaun snarked.
He should have seen it coming. Amy gave him plenty of time to react, but he was obviously still figuring out who exactly she was. And while she would never have used violence on one of her own pack members, Shaun was Takhini. A few sessions inflicting unexpected pain were exactly what she’d anticipated would be needed to bring Shaun around to the idea she was going to be his Alpha. Whether he liked it or not.
Her sucker punch hit him in the gut hard enough he curled around her fist, air rushing out in a choking gasp. She patted him on the head as she pulled her other hand free. “I would never deny a growing boy his meals, but you might have to sit at the little table for a few weeks until you’ve learned some manners.”
Shaun straightened, that look of distrust lingering in his eyes, but a hint more respect in his body language. “I’ll see you at the pack house, Evan. If you bring the she-dragon, consider handcuffing her for all our safety.”
He headed into the trees, shifting as he ran.
Evan draped his arm around her, chuckling softly. “That went well.”
It shouldn’t have felt so easy to lean against his body and soak in his warmth. “You know he’s right. Nothing will be simple in the coming days.”
He turned her on the spot, his strong hands caressing her bare shoulders, an unexpected smile on his face. “He likes you.”
Amy snorted. “Thanks for letting me deal with him on my own.”
“Oh, I understood completely. And I’m serious. I think he’s very impressed with you, once he gets over the shock of how the hierarchy has changed. If he wasn’t safely mated, I might even be a little jealous.”
Now Evan was being ridiculous, not to mention he was doing this thing with his thumbs against the skin of her neck that made her want to lean in and lick him all over. The desire made her uncomfortable on all sorts of levels.
“I’m more powerful than him.” Amy gestured toward the cabin with her head, the motion breaking the physical contact between them, which was sad, but necessary. His touch made it tough to think. “In the end, he’ll acknowledge it. He just might not like it.”
“He doesn’t have to like it for it to be real.”
That brutal truth applied to them as well. The mating urge was there. The yearning to wrap herself around the solid man at her side and never let go grew every minute, cancelling out the impulse that suggested she stomp down hard on his unprotected toes. She focused on a new topic before the sexual tension could build again. “I can’t believe he tied up my sentries.”
“I wouldn’t be too upset with them. Shaun is awfully sneaky when he wants to be.” Evan followed her back to the cabin. “You may not want to hear this, but the fact he got away with it kind of proves my point about how strong Takhini is. Just think. One man, working alone. How many sentries did Shaun put out of commission?”
Amy stopped her rumble of displeasure seconds after it had begun, hiding her frustration by stiffening her spine as she paused in the hallway between the bedrooms to stare him down. “And I’ll remind you again, there are different types of power.”
He shrugged, not looking even remotely worried. “Wolves are wolves. Whoever is in control calls the shots.”
She closed the door to her bedroom while she dressed. So. It seemed the next part was less about them as a couple, and more about the packs joining.
Maybe that was the only way for her to survive this crazy situation. Amalgamation seemed to be Evan’s main focus, for all his talk of wanting to make things right between them as a couple.
The pack merger was going to be a huge event, with lots of delicate manoeuvering required. Did Evan realize that? Or was his method going to be as crude as Shaun’s? Sneak up on the unsuspecting, and force them to either cooperate or shut up?
Her pack might seem quiet, but they weren’t helpless, and they wouldn’t take being overrun without a fight.
Three issues loomed. Finding closure regarding her brother, dealing with her and Evan’s mating, and joining the packs. Solving all three came back to trust. She wasn’t sure she could trust him. Not yet, and Evan had no idea how much he had to learn about her.
Her phone rang as her sentries checked in one after the other. She reassured them she wasn’t hurt, upset or otherwise in trouble. They were all fine as well, although embarrassed at having been caught so easily.
Shaun wasn’t going to be able to pull off that kind of trick again.
A knock on the door interrupted her in the middle of pulling on socks. “Are you okay with us heading back to town? I have no idea what Shaun might do if I leave him unsupervised for too long.”
Amy nodded. “Of course.”
The sooner they got back to town, the sooner the rest of the story would come out.
“Can I take you for breakfast, though?” Evan asked.
None of this was perfect, but she had to work with what she had. “Sure. I know just the place.”
Evan paused for a beat when she handed him her car keys. “You aren’t serious. I get to drive?”
“Trust me, I have enough confidence in my abilities I don’t have to always be the one behind the wheel.” Amy gave him directions to where she wanted to go for breakfast, then pulled out a miniature computer and started working on it as he drove.
“I thought you took time off from work,” he teased gently.
“This isn’t work. This is fun.”
Evan shuddered. “Fun and computers are not words that go hand-in-hand.”
She blinked at him before shaking her head. “Oh, you sad little man. You have no idea what you’re missing.”
“Frustration and carpal tunnel?”
Amy waved a hand in the air. “See that? That is why some wolves pick the Canyon pack over approaching you.”
“Hey, just because me and computers don’t get along doesn’t mean I’m not an awesome Alpha.”
“It’s not about your skills, it’s your attitude.”
She worked for a while as he concentrated on driving. The logging road was twisted enough he had to focus forward instead of staring at her. At the silky smooth surface of her skin. At the strong neck he wanted to wrap his hand around before slipping his fingers into her hair. Fisting tightly so she couldn’t move away as he took a long, deep taste of her pouting lips.
Fuck.
He wiggled in place in an attempt to ease the pressure on his rapidly increasing arousal. The dire need to convince her to take the next steps with him grew exponentially.
They were nearly back at the highway before she put the tablet to one side and twisted in her seat to face him. “Not all wolves are the same. Not all wolves need the same thing.”
“I don’t need Alpha lessons,” Evan muttered, pulling onto the Alaskan highway between a couple of eighteen wheelers. Yeah, he was being cranky, but he and his cock were still not on speaking terms.
She crossed her arms over her chest and deepened her voice in an uncanny match of his. “I’ll make it right. I swear I will. I swear I’ll find a way to prove I’m worthy to be your mate.”
Okay, that was freaky. “You have that thing that lets you repeat word for word anything you’ve ever heard.”