Suddenly, she was overwhelmed with the urge to run. These people were going to kill her to keep her quiet. That’s what she’d do in the same situation and she didn’t want to record that in her pretend notebook about her personality traits. Looking around, she tried to figure out how she could escape.
The men were arguing. Well, Theo and Gabriel were. Az didn’t seem to be participating in it, all of his attention focused on her. He’d spoken in her mind. Did that mean he could read her thoughts, that he knew she was going to escape? She gulped as she couldn’t seem to stop herself from focusing on the fact that he was naked—again.
She looked down at the floor to divert her gaze. Were they all so comfortable shifting back and forth that none of them minded being so exposed and vulnerable? What if they gained a few pounds?
Pulling his brown-eyed gaze from its examination of her, he looked at his brothers.
“You both know that whatever happens, I go with her.”
Silence descended on the room and to Leah it felt like a palpable being. She was so sick of being stuck in this form and not able to ask her questions. As odd as it was, she was both desperate to run and terrified to leave Az. Truthfully, the idea of his going with her wherever she went was sort of appealing. Maybe they could get to know each other in less intense circumstances.
The door slammed open and a group of what she could only describe as huge men hurried into the room. Watching each one of them enter, she had to amend her thought.
There were some women, but only a few. If there were maybe thirty men there were only seven women. Each man—and she had to guess they were all shifters—was better looking than the next but none of them held a candle to Az. She gasped. When had that happened? When had he become the best looking man she’d ever seen?
In the lab, she realized suddenly, when he’d rubbed her fur and spoken to her. That’s when it had happened.
A tall shifter with long black hair who stood with one of the few women handed Az some clothes, which he quickly, much to her chagrin, dressed himself in. Conversations flitted around the room, too fast for her to follow. More than anything she wanted Az to speak in her mind again. The connection with him felt palpable to her, even though it had only been for a few seconds, she wanted it back. Something to ground her in all of this madness.
It’s okay.
She sighed with relief. There are so many people here.
They’re all family—kind of. Even so, it feels like madness to me most of the time too.
It’s one of the reasons I stay in the lab.
She smiled, not caring that she showed her wolf teeth while she did it. What’s the other reason?
Az grinned back at her, his brown eyes sparkling with mischief. You were there.
The door slammed open again. You shifters really know how to make an entrance.
Az laughed aloud, gaining him some odd looks from the others in the room. The mind speaking was kind of fun now that it wasn’t completely odd. As a man entered the room, a hush fell over the crowd. Leah focused her attention on the new arrival. He was tall, but not as tall as Az, and stocky. She immediately concluded that he didn’t look like one of Az’s brothers.
Theo spoke to the new man. “Aloud, if you will, Cullen. Az’s mate,” he indicated her with his head. “Can’t yet speak with us telepathically.”
The man they’d called Cullen turned to her, one eyebrow raised. “Really? He’s mated to the ‘made’ wolf.”
“Hey,” Az’s voice held venom. She was glad she wasn’t on the receiving end of it.
“She’s a person to whom this happened. There’s no way she asked for whatever abuse Kendrick did to her and even if she had, I won’t have anyone speaking about her—or any of the people that this was done to—with anything less than respect. They don’t want to attack us. I’m sure if given the choice they wouldn’t.” He took a deep breath and Leah noted that Cullen had narrowed his eyes but otherwise he did not move. “Also, she has a name. It’s Leah St. James.”
Cullen covered his eyes with his hands and rubbed the top half of his face like it hurt.
“Crap.” She supposed she should be insulted except she was smart enough to know this would probably be the response everyone had. He took his hands down and they hung by his side. “Did anyone tell the Alpha yet?”
Theo shook his head. “No way in hell am I doing that.”
Gabriel snickered. “Nope.”
“I’ll tell him.” Az’s voice still held the same hostility.
Why are you so angry?
Az’s gaze met hers again, an emotion she couldn’t identify present in his eyes. When someone calls you a ‘made’ wolf it’s an insult.
Leah digested this. Because I shouldn’t be a wolf?
My father did this to you, to a lot of people. People like you, to whom this was done, have been attacking us for a long time. Some of our pack has been hurt. There is a lot of hostility but that doesn’t make it right.
The door opened again, this time not slamming into the wall, and three of the most beautiful women she’d ever seen entered the room followed by a man wearing sunglasses.
That’s Tristan. Az told her. The name didn’t mean anything to her. She knew they’d discussed him earlier but so much had happened she couldn’t keep any of it straight.
Who?
He’s our Alpha and my third oldest brother. In a wolf pack, he’s the absolute ruler.
His word is law.
Tristan approached Az with a fast gait. When he reached her one anchor to the world, he stopped and stared at him for a moment. As she, and the entire pack watched Tristan pulled Azriel into an embrace.
“Are you hurt?” Tristan’s voice was rough and she didn’t have to know him to hear the emotion in it.
“It was minor and I’m healed. I shifted, it took care of the injuries.”
Tristan nodded and released his brother. He put out his arm and the redhead who’d entered before him moved to his side slipping under his arm. She placed her head against his chest like a woman who was used to fitting against him.
Abruptly, Tristan turned his head to stare at Leah. She gulped under his gaze, which even through the sunglasses she could feel the heat from.
“You thought it was a good idea to bring one of them into our meeting room?” She knew he wasn’t speaking to her.
Theo answered. “It’s complicated, Trip.”
“Explain it so it’s simple.” He regarded the room for a moment. “Why is everyone speaking aloud, is someone having a problem with the link?”
“The wolf is my mate and her name is Leah St. James.” Az stepped forward, placing himself between Tristan and Theo. She wasn’t sure why he did that but maybe it was one of those male things. “I’m sure you know who that is.”
Tristan pulled off his glasses. Leah took a step back and banged into the wall behind her. His eyes—even in his human form—were wolf eyes and they screamed one word: dominance.
Leaving the redhead, he stepped forward to Leah. Az followed close in his wake, a growl sounding from his throat. Leah didn’t know much about these kinds of things but she would guess it wasn’t a good idea to growl at one’s Alpha.
Tristan turned around to look at his brother and when he turned back to Leah he had an amused smirk on his face. “Relax, Azriel, I am not going to wound your she-wolf.”