Chapter Ten

Unable to get his mind to wrap around all of what had just happened, Keiran rubbed the back of his neck and tried to enjoy the quiet, peaceful sounds of the forest as he walked back to his pack house. From what he could comprehend…he’d met his supposed mate, and she’d lost one of her pack members. Yeah, he felt a little stupid having to think about this in such a way, but it was so much to take in.

The sounds of the birds chirping and little animals scurrying about were interrupted by the snapping of a twig and he froze in place, listening intently. He wasn’t alone.

“Relax, Mr. Alpha, I’m not going to hurt you.”

He turned around and watched a female moving from behind a tree. It was the other female of Luna’s pack. What was her name again?

“Jaclyn, if you don’t remember, but then how could you forget someone like me?” A smirk crossed her face as she walked towards him. “Luna wanted me to accompany you to your pack house, if you don’t mind, of course.” She curtsied slightly, but he could tell that there was sarcasm written all over the action.

He crossed his arms over his chest. He didn’t really feel comfortable in this situation because he could tell that even though Jaclyn had followed her alpha’s orders, she also had her own intentions for this trip.

“Say what you need to say before we continue…Jackie.”

She scowled at the nickname and stood up on her toes, getting right up in his face. “Listen here, buddy…I saw the way you were looking at Luna. I know what happened between you two when this evening started, and I also know you’re thinking of bailing. Well, guess what…Luna is my best friend. Hell, you could say she’s my only friend. So if you hurt her, I can personally guarantee that you will regret every single breath you take afterwards. Do you understand?”

“Watch yourself, Jackie. You’re threatening an alpha.”

She snorted slightly. There was disgust in the sound but it was still as lady-like as she could manage. “This is just normal, everyday stuff for me, sweetie.” She lowered herself back down and placed a hand on her hip. “Are we going?”

A moment passed between them as they sized each other up, and when it was over, he let out a soft chuckle before turning to continue heading towards the pack house. Yeah, he liked Jackie.

He spent the rest of the walk trying to figure out how he was going to explain this last night to his pack. He had left them to run by themselves with no word as to why, and he was coming back with jeans that weren’t even his but did belong to a male.

With a groan, he scrubbed a hand down his face just in time to see the front of the house. Never before had he not looked forward to walking inside. He hesitated and Jackie noticed.

“Well, are you going in, Mr. Alpha?”

He gave her a look of annoyance and then walked inside. Tala heard him first, but then he wouldn’t have been surprised if she had been waiting for him in the living room.

“Big guy!” She squealed and ran right to him, giving him another one of her hugs.

“Hey,” he grimaced slightly because he knew the questioning was going to start right away.

“Where were you? What happened? Are you okay? Whose are those jeans? Who is that?” Tala peered over his shoulder at Jackie and he could tell she was looking at her with hope in her eyes.

Yeah, that so wasn’t happening.

He held up a hand to stop her and gently pulled her to the living room. “Another situation has come up, and I will explain everything. But first, I need a damn shower.”

“Okay, but who is that?” Tala insisted for an answer.

“She’s a…friend,” Keiran groaned again. “Please make her feel welcome.”

The look on Jackie’s face was one of success and he shook his head. He walked to his bedroom and shut the door behind him, leaning back against it. Exhaling a breath, he stood straight and peeled the jeans off that Rafe had given him. Tossing them on the chair, he went to the bathroom and scrubbed off to get as clean as he could.

Once he was dressed in his own clothes, he filled his lungs with as much air as he could, trying to prepare himself.

The pack was already sitting in the living room, waiting for him, and except for Blaez, every single one of them had their eyes on Jackie. She looked like she was enjoying it, too.

He walked in and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. “I’m sure you’ve all been introduced?”

"Of course,” Em spoke before turning her attention away from Jackie. “So tell us what is going on, because it’s obviously something huge.”

“Alright….here goes.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “During the run, I heard a howl that…caught me by surprise. My wolf had me follow the sound and I found another shifter, a female alpha.”

“My alpha,” Jackie offered.

“Yeah… Well, my wolf called to hers as…his mate. Her name is Luna.”

Each one reacted differently. Jackie just smirked that smirk of hers again. Blaez lifted his head and stared at him; Em gasped and covered her mouth. Tala frowned slightly, and Seth was still staring at Jackie.

“There’s more,” he muttered. “One of her pack members was killed by Robert’s men. She was a young female named Maddie, and she was to be mated last night with another of their pack, a male named Raul.”

“Oh God,” Tala’s frown deepened and tears threatened to spill.

Keiran didn’t hesitate to continue; he really wasn’t sure if he could handle the questions they had for him right then. “We’re going to go Luna’s pack house for the time being. She feels like we’ll be stronger as a group right now, despite the fact that we’re two packs, and I agree with her.”

“But you’re both alphas. How are you going to be able to make decisions for the pack when staying with hers will affect it?” Em’s brows furrowed in confusion.

“I don’t know. We’ll work on it, I guess. I’m kind of banking on the whole mate thing in hopes that it will make that part of this situation easier. I’m just as confused about this as you are, guys, but I know we’ll be safer this way, and I feel this is the right thing for the pack to do.”

“Then we’ll follow you, big guy, of course.” Tala’s voice was shaky.

He nodded his head at her, hoping he was able to do this with the personal battle that was raging in his head.

An hour later and they were all in their cars, heading back to Luna’s cabin. Jackie had decided to ride with Seth…on his motorcycle. Keiran hadn’t been too happy about that, but he wasn’t in the mood to argue the situation. Blaez was on his own cycle. Tala was in the front seat of his car and Em was in the back.

He noticed that Tala was unusually quiet; normally, she’d have at least something to say.

“Let it out, Tala.”

She let out a breath and leaned her head against the cool window. “You always know when something’s wrong with me.”

“Of course I do.”

“It’s not just because you’re the alpha, big guy…”

“What else could it be?”

She tilted her head slightly and looked at him through her peripheral vision. “You’re like a father to me,” she whispered.

He took in a breath and almost swerved a little bit as he was driving. He wasn’t expecting that response at all. But it made sense. With Robert technically being the bad guy, it was kind of like she didn’t have a dad.

“This whole mating thing that you’re going through… I know you don’t understand it; I can tell when something’s wrong with you just like you can with me. So I’m trying not to take it so hard. I know that it makes me selfish.” She lifted her knees up to her chest and rested her cheek on them as she turned her head to look back out the window again.

“Are you worried that the mating thing will take me away from you guys?” He raised a brow in questioning.

She only shrugged her shoulders and he had to chuckle a little bit. Reaching over, he gently gripped her shoulder as he kept an eye on the road.

"Listen, Tala, I don’t even know how this mating thing is going to work out. Luna and I don’t know each other too well, if at all. But no matter what does happen, I’m not going to leave you guys behind. I mean, I guess I do think of you as a daughter.”

She lifted her head and looked at him with renewed hope, and he gave her a smile.

“Don’t worry; you can’t get rid of me that easily.”

“I won’t ever try,” she whispered again before looking out the front window.

He looked at the rear view mirror and saw Em smiling at him. He returned the gesture and continued to drive to Luna’s pack house.