“I was stopping a challenge, but they—”
“Challenge?”
“I-they-I.” He blew out a frustrated breath. “Maybe I should start at the beginning.”
She nodded. “Did you volunteer to become one?”
“No! Never. When I was in college I got attacked while walking across the campus. I don’t think whoever did it planned on my surviving. They tore me apart pretty much.”
“Why?”
It looked like he stared at a faraway place. “There’s something about the smell of fear that can be intoxicating. If you don’t restrain your beast, take control of it instead of the other way around, it can lead you down a dark path.” He sat in silence for a moment, then shivered with a deep sigh. “It left me to die. I awoke in the hospital with Sugar at my side. I lived with her as I recovered until the local werewolf pack, the Ayumu, took responsibility of me. I went to live with some of them.” He shook his head. “Some were no better than animals. Dominance is very important to pack hierarchy, and I didn’t understand that concept at the time.”
“How could you? You were dealing with a huge life change.” She stroked his hair as he leaned his head against hers.
“I can’t express how good it feels to tell you.” He kissed her forehead. “But there’s more.”
She snuggled to his chest and listened to the pounding of his heart. What a sight they’d be if someone were to walk in at this moment. Eric half naked with bleeding claw marks across his back with her dressed in dirty laundry sitting on his lap in the middle of the kitchen floor. She snorted.
Eric seemed to take it as a sign to continue. “I left the pack as soon as they deemed it safe. I couldn’t wait to get away from them. The apartment next to Sugar became vacant, and I took it. Your little sister was my rock during all this. She helped me find the others, Sam, Robert, Tyler and Katrina.”
“They’re werewolves too?” She sat up straighter in his lap and knocked his chin on her head.
He laughed while he rubbed it. “Yes.”
“Sugar’s the only human?”
“And you.” His grin was infectious. “But you need to let me finish.”
She listened as he told her how Daedalus came into their lives and the Omegas absorbed the larger pack of Ayumus.
“An alpha of a pack.”
“Trying to be. I don’t think I’m doing a very good job. They insist I need a mate. The old alpha, Michael, never took one, and they blame that for making them such a male dominant pack with little morals. The male alpha is the soul of the pack, but the female is the heart.”
“Mate? As in they want you to fuck someone else besides me?” She crossed her arms. “I’m not into sharing.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to. That’s what caused the fight tonight. Some of the females were conducting challenges for dominance at an abandoned warehouse we keep for such things. I stopped them. Then I announced I wanted courting rights since I found a potential mate. Three of them turned on me. I had to put them in their place, otherwise the males would view me as weak and start challenging me as well.”
“You want me as a mate? To become a werewolf?”
“No, no. I’d never ask anyone to do that. I’m still not sure what to do now, but this will give me some time to think and plan. Don’t worry, I’ll figure it out.” He ran his thumb along her cheek and heat flooded her body. “I just want us to be together.”
“You fought werewolves to be with me.” She grinned at him and winked. “I think I’m a little turned on.”
With a display of speed she’d never witnessed from him, he dumped her on the floor and crawled on top. His eyes faded to the golden amber she’d glimpsed before, but this time he didn’t try to hide it. “Then you don’t hate me?”
“I meant what I said last night. I’m here for keeps, babe.” She ran her fingers into his thick mane. “It’s nice to know you’re not perfect. Everyone should have a flaw.”
He laughed. “I’m far from perfect.”
“I don’t know. From here you’re looking pretty damn fine.” She pulled him down to her lips and slid her hands around to his back.
He flinched.
“Shit.”
“I’m okay, really.”
She laughed. “Go to bed. I’m going to make some breakfast. After I take a plate to Sugar, I’ll bring you one.”
“Naked. Serve it to me naked.”
She laughed. “Definitely not perfect.”
Chapter 8
Daedalus strolled into the living room, the tip of his right ear a little less pointy since his head caught on fire two days ago. Eric tried to hide his amusement behind Spice’s wild, short curls. The vampire turned out to be sensitive about the small loss.
The memories of their crazy car ride home were still vivid. When Clair and her cronies jumped him in the warehouse, he freed his beast and kicked their mangy asses. The fact they thought he could be taken down so easily ate at him. He still needed to prove himself to his pack.
Behavior like Clair’s needed to be stomped out of the pack. Dishonorable, untrustworthy, and disgraceful could be used to describe many of them, but over the last year he’d chased away the worst and nurtured the best. Now he needed to figure out how to unite the old pack with the new.
His first step sat in his arms. Beautiful lush curves pressed to his body. Spice may not be wolf and could never be the pack’s heart but she owned his, and with her support he could accomplish anything.
Spice, forever her little sister’s champion, came to her rescue when she heard the screams only to find they’d been keeping secrets from her.
Forced to reveal the truth, he couldn’t believe his luck when she accepted everything without much question. Unlike her twin, who had run, needing time to come to terms with the paranormal, Spice knew what she wanted. Him.
He kissed the back of her neck as she rolled the dice. They played Monopoly tonight with everyone in the house, and she dominated.
“No distracting the master, honey.” She waved him off.
Daedalus stopped by the table with a letter in his hand. “This was pinned to the front door. It has your name on it.” He offered it to Eric.
“Somebody made a hole in my brand new wooden door with a pin?” Sugar rose from the floor by the gaming table and went to inspect the damage.
“It’s just a door.” Daedalus followed her.
Their chatter faded into the background as Eric looked at the envelope. His name was scrawled on the front in pen. He slid his finger under the edge and tore it open, then pulled out a folded piece of paper.
His breath caught in his chest as he read it.
Spice leaned closer and read it as well. “Can she do this?”
“No.” He smacked the note with his hand, wishing it was Clair’s head instead, and re-read it out loud.
Eric,
Did you think I wouldn’t find out she’s human? Accord law states a mate has to be of the same species. Courting time denied and challenges have continued until this evening.
I’ve won.
Keep the girl as a pet, I don’t care, but I will rule at your side.
Clair
The paper crinkled as he crushed it in his hand. “Can’t I get a break?” he shouted at no one in particular.
Sugar and Daedalus returned to the room, he quirked an eyebrow at Eric, never approving of outbursts from him. Leaders must maintain a calm exterior at all times, to reassure his people, no matter how angry or frightened they might be inside.
Offering the note to the vampire, Eric started to pace the room with slow, steady strides. How was he going to take care of that bitch?