Challenged (15 page)

“Stone, this is our pack leader, Tip Rochester,” Gabe said, quickly offering

introductions.

Ali stepped back when Stone stood. She realized then that her sire had entered the

dining room from the kitchen. He had a scratch over his forehead, but otherwise simply

looked annoyed. He frowned when he noticed her.

“Stone McAllister,” Stone said and shook hands with the pack leader. “You’ll have

to forgive me. I’m sure I get credit for starting the fight. But where I come from,

werewolves don’t beat up bitches.”

Tip nodded and then looked past him at her sire.

“He’s part of your crew, Jonathan?” Tip asked.

Jonathan stepped further into the room, watching Ali as she applied the ointment to

Stone.

“Yup. His den is here.” Jonathan nodded to Gabe. “Stone here is just passing

through.”

Ali met her sire’s gaze, knowing the last comment was directed toward her. A

sinking feeling hit her gut. Stone didn’t say anything to counter her sire’s statement.

Tip looked around at all of them and then patted Renee on the shoulder. “Well, it

looks like they’ll all survive. I’ll take a drive up into the mountains, see how the dens

are doing up there.”

The large Cariboo turned and left the dining room, and a few minutes later left the

house.

“Where’s your shirt?” Ali finished putting the bandages on the deeper cuts on

Stone’s back then turned to look at the smaller cuts on his neck.

If the other werewolf looked worse, then Stone had to come close to killing him.

Her sire couldn’t be that upset with him if Stone had started the fight. She knew her sire

detested werewolves who didn’t treat their bitches right. Her heart still pattered in her

chest when her sire walked up to them.

“I have the deepest respect for a Cariboo who insists on wholesome values in a den,”

he told Stone. “Don’t lose my respect.”

His last words were a mere growl, his gaze never leaving Stone’s face.

“I don’t plan on it.” Stone straightened.

Even with the clean white bandages covering part of his torso, the muscles that

rippled under his flesh were more than a distraction for Ali. Her mouth was suddenly

too dry. Her sire and Stone stared at each other, male adrenaline filling the air with a

rich smell. Her heart throbbed so hard in her chest she was sure everyone around her

could hear it. Licking her dry lips, she glanced down and then gave Pamela, who stood

on the other side of her, a quick glance. Concern covered the pretty bitch’s face. Gabe’s

expression looked as hard as Stone’s did. The two were so similar, yet so different.

Ali returned her attention to Stone, and then to her sire.

“I’ll need to head back up the mountain.” Jonathan followed Stone’s actions when

he turned and grabbed his shirt that had been hanging on the back of his chair.

Jonathan didn’t look at anyone else but the werewolf in front of him while Stone pulled

his shirt over his head. “My daughter will be at her den by the time I get home.”

Ali ached to help Stone with his shirt. She didn’t dare move though. Her sire

bordered on hostile. After half of them getting in a fight up the mountain, it wouldn’t

take much to set them off again. She could smell the tension that lingered in the room.

“Dad. I want to make sure Stone gets to his den,” Ali said, unable to stay quiet.

She desperately wanted to be alone with Stone and the last thing she wanted to do

was sit at home tonight listening to her littermates growl and snap at each other.

Stone held up his hand, looking down at her before returning his attention to

Jonathan. “She’ll be home. I’ll see to it.”

Jonathan nodded. He growled at her, letting her know he was serious, and then left

the dining room.

“Give me the keys to the truck,” Stone told Gabe when it was just the four of them

at the dining room table.

“You sure you can drive?” Gabe asked, pulling the keys from his pocket.

“I can drive.” Stone took the keys and then put his hand on the back of her neck,

leading her out of the pack doctor’s home.

Ali could feel her sire’s gaze burning through her back as they left the house.

“Remind me to tell you what Gabe had to go through with my sire,” Pamela told

her as they walked toward the cars.

“This isn’t the same,” Stone growled at all of them.

“Of course not.” Pamela ignored his scowl, grinning at him. “I saw Ali chase those

bitches away from you.”

Ali’s face burned with sudden embarrassment, but she hurried after Stone when he

picked up his pace and stalked over to the truck. Grabbing her arm, he pulled her

around to the driver’s side, then opened the door and pushed her into the cab.

“Don’t tell me you’re suddenly mad that I got those sluts away from you.” She

adjusted herself in the cab, praying he wasn’t planning on driving her straight to her

den and dropping her off.

“They were just tending to my wounds.” Stone started the truck.

He didn’t look at her when he pulled away from the curb.

“They were hanging all over you. I didn’t like it.” She clenched her teeth together.

Granted, Stone had given her no indication that he was staying with this pack. But

he’d come back. He came to her when she’d asked him to, and she knew it wasn’t just

because he wanted her for sex. Stone could get it from anyone. And Pamela had told

her that Gabe thought she was getting under his skin. What worried her right now was

that Stone would be stubborn enough to deny that he had feelings for her.

Stone looked at her and tingles rushed over her flesh. His expression was hard but

she didn’t miss that possessive look. He’d liked how she’d chased them away. She

knew he had.

“You going to chase away any bitch who might be by my side?”

“Damn straight I am,” Ali spoke before she could think about it.

She fisted her hands, turning toward him. Stone glanced over at her, suddenly

looking amused. Ali realized at that moment that they weren’t heading toward her den.

Instead, Stone turned up the mountain. Her heart skipped a beat. He wasn’t taking her

to her den, but to Gabe and Pamela’s den.

“And what are you going to do when I leave?” he asked.

Ali’s heart sunk to her gut. “When you leave? When are you leaving?”

“Don’t know.” It was hard to tell but she thought she smelled amusement.

Stone pulled the truck in front of the small cabin and parked. When he opened the

truck door, he didn’t grab her and pull her out on his side. Ali scooted toward him

anyway, wondering if he might be in more pain than he let on.

“Then why did you ask?” She climbed out, standing right next to him.

Stone looked down at her and then ran his hand through her hair, tangling his

fingers and then pulling so her head fell back.

“Because, little bitch, you are digging your claws in deep.” He didn’t sound overly

disappointed about that.

“You knew I was lying when I denied being a virgin,” she began and he tugged

harder on her hair. “I could have fucked at least a handful of werewolves before I meant

you. None of them were worth my time.”

“Don’t be so sure that I’m worth your time.” His grip pinched her hair at her scalp.

The slight pain he inflicted made her muscles ache to grow, to take him on for

implying he wasn’t worth the fight.

“Don’t tell me a big bad wolf like you gets nervous about the thought of taking a

mate.”

His expression hardened and a muscle twitched next to his mouth. He pushed into

her until she was pressed against the side of the truck.

“What makes you think I’m looking for a mate?”

She reached up, brushing his hair from the side of his face. Her fingers lingered

over the strong pulse in his temple. Never had she seen a sexier, and more dangerous-

looking, werewolf.

“Usually when you aren’t looking is when you find just what you need,” she

whispered.

Stone leaned into her, pressing his weight against her so that the cold metal of the

truck soaked through her clothes.

“You think I need you?” He nipped at her neck and then ran his tongue down to

her collarbone.

“God. Stone.” She couldn’t pull her head forward.

He still had his hand clamped against the side of her head.

“There’s a lot about me that you don’t know,” he breathed into her neck, sending

chills rushing through her.

“I’ll learn,” she told him, her entire body turning into a pulsing nerve ending.

“Then what will you do when I strip you down and give you to Gabe?”

Her heart exploded in her chest, and then quickly rose to her throat.

Chapter Eight

Gravel popped behind Stone and he pushed away from Ali, deciding a moment for

her to digest his direct question might do her some good.

Dreams had plagued him ever since he’d met this feisty little bitch. Sharing her

with Gabe, watching her take both of them, turned him on more than it had with any

other bitch. And in truth, other than with Pamela, it had only happened twice before.

Each of them had found a bitch in their past, thought she might be the one, and then for

whatever reasons, it hadn’t worked out.

Damn if he knew why he was considering Ali. She was so young, had so much to

learn. And he wasn’t looking for a mate.

But he’d asked her, and even as the Bronco pulled up behind them, he could tell the

question had rendered her speechless. She glanced up at him and then at the pack

leader’s truck.

“I’d do anything for you,” she whispered, shocking him.

Ali straightened her clothes and turned her attention to the pack leader.

Tip Rochester got out of his Bronco, immediately sniffing the air. Stone turned to

face him, show him the respect of his rank. If the pack leader had a problem with Ali

being here, he would have it out with him now.

“Is there a problem?” Stone asked in greeting.