Fire of the Wolf [The Gray Pack] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (18 page)

“Nope,” she said, and everyone but Damon cracked up with laughter. His eyes flashed, and he reached for her.

“Hmmm…well then let’s start over and see if you react like before,” he said menacingly, but she could see the laughter in his eyes, and knew he had missed her just as much. She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward his waiting parents, laughing the whole way.

“Better take a minute to say hello to your parents first. We can reconvene at a later time.” She gave him a flirty smile and blew him a quick kiss to tell him that she wanted him as badly as he wanted her, and he followed her willingly.

Damon greeted both of his parents with hugs and kisses on the cheek, and then sat down next to her at the kitchen table. He scooted his chair as close to her as possible and kept his thigh pressed against hers. She had missed him so deeply while he was separated from her for the last sixteen hours that it had physically begun to hurt. But it looked like he wasn’t letting her go far from his side now.

They chatted while they all ate breakfast. Damon and the guys had found nothing new to report at the house, and Barton seemed to have covered his trail enough to hide for now. Caroline saw Devin and Damon exchange a look, and she narrowed her eyes at them. They both smiled innocently, but she could tell that there was more to the story than they wanted to share with her. She hoped they would soon realize that she wanted to be included in everything, even the things that they wanted to protect her from.

“Oh yeah, and Tina called for you, beautiful. She said that mine was the only phone number she could track down to get ahold of you. I guess she called the firehouse and got Liam on the phone. Did on a number on him, sounds like she is quite a little spitfire,” Damon said through a mouthful of food, and swallowing, he laughed, “You should have seen the look on Liam’s face when he gave me the message!”

“Oh my god I didn’t even think about leaving a different phone number with anyone to get ahold of me. My cell phone was in my purse where I left it the night of the fire. I will have to go to the cell phone store so that they can help me get a new phone. I better go call her and reassure her that you guys didn’t kill me, at least not yet anyways.” She laughed and took Damon’s cell phone from him, pausing for the kiss he brushed across her lips before she headed for the great room.

As she passed by, Devin grabbed her arm, and tugged her face to his for a quick kiss as well. Her breath caught in her throat when she felt his tongue lick across her lips. Pulling back quickly, she laughed at him. His eyes sparked with desire, and held a promise for later. She swatted his hands away, and left the room still laughing. She could hear Devin asking Damon about Liam’s conversation with Tina as she drifted out of hearing distance. She made a mental note to get the scoop from Damon later on. She settled onto an oversize ottoman in the middle of the room, and called Tina.

“Caroline! Lord, girl, where have you been? I’ve been so worried about you. You left the hospital with those two guys, and for all I knew they were serial killers! I mean they would have a great disguise, as hot as they are. No one would suspect them. Then I couldn’t reach you, and Carter said he didn’t know what happened to you, either. He said some guy came by the hospital asking about you, too. Is everything okay?” Tina’s voice was excited and impatient, and Caroline found herself rolling her eyes as she took a deep breath.

“Tina, slow down. I’m fine. I’m great in fact! I’m in love with them, Tina. Devin and Damon are the best things to ever happen to me.” She could hear the love in her own voice.

“What? How can you be in love after a couple of days? Caroline, did you hit your head during that fire? Now, don’t get me wrong, those two were delicious looking, and I have no doubt they would be a hell of a ride, but in love?” Tina sounded doubtful.

“Trust me, Tina, there is so much more to them than I even realized. I’ve spent every minute with them for the last few days. I’m at their d…home right now meeting their parents, actually.” She almost slipped and called it a den. She wondered what Tina would say to the idea of her good friend falling for a couple of werewolves, and turning into one herself.

“Wow! I’m stunned, Caroline. I’ve known you for years, and you have never even had an overnight date with a man in that time. You don’t jump into anything. So if you are keeping them around for a while…when do I get to meet their hot fireman friends? The one I talked to the other day had a sexy, deep voice. Almost made me ask him out just because of his voice! You’ve already laid claim to two of the best ones, but surely there is just one more for me?” Tina seemed truly shocked at her best friend’s actions, but she laughed along with Caroline as they went on to chat about work. Caroline explained what all had occurred in the last few days, excluding everything wolf related. Caroline was pleased that Tina didn’t argue harder for her to step back and think about everything. She was afraid that too many questions would force her to make decisions, and she wasn’t ready to make them yet.

They finished their call with a promise that Caroline would talk to the guys and set up a time to get together with her. Now that Caroline had found her happiness, she wanted to see Tina find hers, and she would do anything to help her with it. She thought about her conversation, and realized that she hadn’t asked Tina who was at the hospital looking for her, but she shrugged it off, thinking that it was probably just a former patient.

Heading back into the kitchen, she froze just inside the doorway when she realized that the mood had changed completely. Liam, Cash, and Owen all stood around the room with serious looks on their faces. And now instead of the laughing, laid-back family she had left a few minutes ago, a serious and emotional group sat in their place.

* * * *

“What’s wrong?” she asked, her voice breaking just slightly.

“Caroline…” Damon said, but he couldn’t go on. He clearly didn’t know how to tell her whatever he needed to tell her. He looked at his brother, his eyes pleading with Devin to explain.

“Barton Diego issued a challenge for tomorrow night,” Devin said quietly. He stared directly into her brown eyes, just waiting for her reaction. His muscles were tense, and his jaw was clenched.

“What? No! Not yet! Why so fast? I just found you…” Everyone was shocked at the intensity of her reaction. She was yelling at him! Devin was stunned because she always seemed so calm and together, but now her emotions danced in her eyes, plain for all to see.

Devin watched her as she struggled with her own reaction. Her eyes had turned to liquid chocolate and were filled with fear, and her body trembled. His gut twisted because he knew she was scared, and he couldn’t reassure her. She was just going to have to understand. He was a wolf, and an Alpha wolf at that. He had to protect his pack, and he had to prove his worthiness to lead them. He would face Barton, no matter what the result.

“It’s not a choice, Caroline. I will face Barton tomorrow night, and I will kill him. And then we will plan our wedding.” He said it with more control than he even knew he was capable of. The fear and sadness in her eyes, and the silent tears falling down her cheeks were almost his undoing.

“Caroline, there is more to this challenge than you understand…” Damon started to say, but he paused when his brother shook his head at him.

“Then make me understand. What has changed that made this guy want to have the challenge so fast?” She kept her confused eyes on Damon, refusing to let him off the hook.

“He wants you, beautiful,” Damon said, his heart breaking with every word as she went completely pale. “He issued the challenge to Devin for you. It’s not a challenge just for the pack leader. He made it clear that he has scented you and desires you for his mate.”

* * * *

“What? I thought once mated that a wolf couldn’t mate someone else.” she said in a whisper. When no one spoke immediately, she shifted onto one hip and crossed her arms, her gaze moving from one man to the next until she had looked at all five of the guys in front of her. Sienna moved up beside her and put a hand on her shoulder in comfort.

Liam was the one that answered her question, and she watched him as he shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. “It’s not that they can’t mate someone else, but usually they don’t have the desire to. A claiming bite mark on a wolf from their mate is like a warning light to other wolves. Wolves mate for life, and once claimed, other wolves don’t usually challenge the bond, but Barton isn’t a normal wolf. He is crazy in his hatred for Devin, and he may be stupid enough to try to get to you.” The silence was oppressive as she realized that Barton Diego was intending on killing Devin to get to her, and that he wasn’t going to take no for an answer if he reached her. A small shiver of terror went through her spine. A dark thought slipped into her mind.

What if Barton just wanted her? What if she offered herself to him to protect Devin?
She would do anything to protect her men, even if it meant sacrificing herself.

“The hell you will.” Damon and Devin both stood and glowered at her. She knew they had heard her thoughts and were pissed. Anger glowed in their faces, but she tipped her chin defiantly at them. Everyone else watched in confusion.

“I will do whatever necessary to protect you,” she said angrily.

“You will not put your life at risk. This is not negotiable, Caroline. As our mate, you are as important to the pack as we are, and you risk more than you know if you attempt anything so stupid.” Devin’s voice was an angry growl, and his normally light-green eyes were darkened with rage.

“Stupid? You think loving you is stupid? Well hell, maybe it is! Maybe the stupidest thing I’ve done in my life is fall in love with you and your brother.” Her tears still fell from her cheeks, and she could feel the intense pain of her heartbreak. She just wanted to protect them like they wanted to protect her.

“Stop it. Both of you,” Damon yelled at them. Reaching out, he held Caroline’s hands in his own loose grip and waited for her to meet his eyes. “Caroline, you are the best thing that ever happened to the two of us. We both love you so much that we want to protect you from everything, but we can’t do that if you won’t protect yourself. I need to explain something to you. Once mated a wolf is stronger in every way because it shares its soul with its mate. It has both pieces of its heart, and that increases its strength in every way. If you were to pull away from Devin now, right before the challenge, it would weaken him. He won’t admit it, but he needs you. He needs you to be strong for him. Not fight him on this.”

Everyone held their breath. Caroline glanced around the room, seeing the truth on the sad faces around her. Finally turning back to her men, she sighed heavily, and closed her eyes. Why was this happening to them? She had spent so much of her life sad and alone, and now that she finally had someone to live for, she might have to give them up, too. She could feel the weight of her depression in her chest, and she fought to control the darkness so that it would envelope her heart again. She would go along with this until she could come up with a better plan, because she couldn’t bring herself to chance hurting her men. If what Damon said was true, then she needed to put on a brave face for now.

“Fine. Sienna, I believe someone was going to introduce me to the pack, and after I go clean up a bit I want to meet them.” Meeting Devin’s icy green eyes, she glared at him as she brushed away the last of her tears. “Understand this. I will do everything in my power to stop this. I just found you two, and I’m not ready to give you up.” She spun on her heel and stomped off to the bathroom.

* * * *

Damon stood open mouthed watching Caroline exit the room. As much as he hated to admit it, her desire to protect Devin was a blatant reaction of love. After a moment of silence while everyone absorbed her reaction to the news, Devin took a deep breath of his own before issuing orders.

“Betas, please send the word that we will meet at the circle in one hour. Everyone should be there, no exceptions. I plan to continue my day just like I would have before this challenge, and introduce they pack to my future wife.” He walked away from all of them in the opposite direction of Caroline, leaving everyone shocked in his wake. It took all of Damon’s strength not to go to Caroline and console her, but he needed some time to think himself, too.

“I told you she was perfect for us. It takes a lot of courage, and a lot of pride to be the Alpha’s mate.” Damon’s voice swelled with his pride, and he smiled sadly to his parents and cousins.

“We will make sure she is protected, Damon. We will set up around-the-clock watches for the whole den.” Owen was already formulating a plan to reinforce their security.

“I know that, guys. I trust you to protect her as you would any of our family. I also know that we can’t protect her from herself. I just hope she doesn’t let her pride get her into trouble. Barton is a sick fuck, and he will do everything he can to make this an unfair fight.” He felt slightly lost as he looked toward the doorway that Caroline had just stomped through.

Liam, Cash, and Owen exchanged a look, and then, shaking their heads, they left the cabin to pass the word throughout the pack about the meeting.

* * * *

Caroline stood in front of the bathroom mirror with a cold, wet washcloth on her forehead trying hard to control her emotions and mentally prepare herself for meeting the pack. She was scared, and angry. She wanted to spend more time with her men before this challenge happened. What if something happened to Devin? What would that mean for her, his mate? She could already feel the wolf inside of her, getting stronger, and becoming a part of her like her arms were. They had told her that if a wolf died, his mate would usually soon follow, but what did that mean for a wolf with a mate who already had another mate? Would both she and Damon die if Devin did? Would she survive and be forced to endure a life mated with the man that killed her true love? It was all too much to swallow, and she wanted to curl up in a ball and cry herself to sleep.