Full Circle (Central Florida Pack Book 1) (5 page)

"Sheena and Trina." Damien stepped forward. "Follow me."

Sheena's eyes grew wide, but she followed Damien out of the room without so much as a glance in Ria's direction. Trina sneered as she brushed past Ria. Paolo took up the rear.

Ria tucked her hand through Drake's arm. Trying and successfully getting him to turn in the opposite direction, she drew him away, but not before she heard Paolo say to Sheena, "And yet again she saves
your
ass."

***

Ria's soft, warm body was pressed up against Drake's side. He hid his smile as she hugged his arm close, her attempt to keep him from going back and dealing with Sheena. They both knew she wouldn't stand in the way of him disciplining a Pack member. He'd already established a reputation for being a fair leader, and any punishment he meted out would be equal to the infraction. He looked down at her as they walked side by side down the hallway. He drew in a breath and his wolf rolled in her sent, enjoying her growing reaction to being close to him.

His mate was in his home voluntarily. She was snuggled up to his side, and he was taking her to his den. He hoped it would be hers, too, one day soon.

The large, cherry double doors loomed before them. Ria stilled. He didn't pause as he pushed the doors open and welcomed her into his sanctuary. Other than Ria, no other female had ever been in this place. Ria had been here before, but only because James had been up to his usual games of trying to get her into the same room as Drake. James might be protective of Ria, but he'd known almost as long as Drake had that Ria was Drake's, and he'd made it his business to bring them together.

She stepped into the room and immediately executed a sharp turn to the right after spotting his king-sized bed through the open double doors. He smiled even as his body and wolf demanded that he take advantage of the bed. He closed the doors to the suite behind them, forcing himself to appear relaxed as his space filled with her scent.

She was nervous, turned on and wary. Her scent and body posture told him if he did the wrong thing, she would run. He did the least threatening thing he could think of. He sat on the recliner and let her take in the changes he'd made. The last time she'd been in his suite, the front room had been empty except of boxes. The bedroom had only held his bed and nothing else. Now, it was filled with cherry wood and leather. He hoped she liked it, especially since he'd decorated it with her in mind. She walked along the edge of the room, drawn as he'd known she'd be to the bookshelves. Her fingers trailed over his collection of books the way he hoped they would trail over his bare skin. Her head bent as she examined souvenirs of trips past. She didn't know that he kept the few gifts she'd given him close to his bed, and she probably wouldn't learn that today, either. He knew that he wouldn't get her in the bedroom to see the safe place he kept them.

She glanced up and stepped back from the fireplace. Her hair fell to the side as her head tilted in an effort to take in the sheer size of the television screen he had mounted above it.

"Is it big enough for you?" she asked.

He laughed. "I think so." His TV had been one of his first purchases. The second had been the recliner loveseat he was now splayed upon while she slowly circled the room.

Her fingers trembled as she dropped her purse on the old steamer trunk he used as a coffee table, but she bravely faced him. "I really like what you did with it. You know, adding furniture."

He fought the urge to jump out of the chair and wrap her in his arms. The imp he remembered was still there in the mischievous flash of a smile. Now he just had to make sure that she let her guard down more often. He stayed put and felt triumph when she slid into the recliner. He waited until the last moment to hit the button that made the legs rise.

She let out a yelp and shot him an accusing glare.

"I like my comfort."

She made a show of snuggling into the seat. "So I see. Leather?" She arched a look in his direction.

Drake tossed her a soft blanket he'd picked out. It was a lush brown color that reminded him of her eyes. It was tied with gold ribbon, a bow on top like a gift. He wanted her wrapped in that blanket and nothing else.

"I'm not cold." She said, even as she pulled on the end of the ribbon to release the blanket.

He reached out and took it from her. "No, but aren't you the girl who always had to have a blanket when we watched a movie?"

Ria stilled beneath his gaze, and his wolf took notice of the way she wouldn't meet his eyes. Her fingers trembled as she smoothed them over the soft surface of the blanket. Every time he revealed that he'd paid attention to her, she withdrew.

As he waited for his Ria to come out of hiding, he turned away from her and started a movie he'd learned from James that she wanted to see. By the time she settled down enough to realize what he'd put on, she'd snuggled as far into the corner as she could get. His wolf had to be content with the heat that rolled off of her body as she slowly relaxed into the chair.

Eventually, she laid her head against the headrest and laughed at the actors. Drake felt the mating bond lock into place as she turned her head to laugh with him. Curls framed her face, softened by her full-on smile. He had to hold back his wolf as he tried to lunge forward to take what was his.

He smiled back at Ria and looked away, afraid she'd see the need that had him clenching the long-neck bottle in desperation. He was thankful that he'd already drained it dry when he heard the glass crack and felt the give of the bottle. He immediately rested the cracked bottle on the floor and feigned absorption in the movie, while he listened to her breath as it became slow and even.

Chapter Four

Drake watched Ria sleep as the early morning light seeped through the window blinds. She was snuggled into the corner of the sofa. It was obvious she hadn't had much sleep the night before. He'd seen the evidence of dark circles under her eyes. Drake had intended to take her out, but he'd changed plans when he'd seen how tired she looked. Wouldn't she love to know that? When he'd decided on a movie at the last minute, he hadn't banked on this many people being at the house.

Ria shifted and moved closer to his warmth. Drake gave in to the need to feel her in his arms. He brought his half of the recliner into a sitting position, reached over and lifted her into his arms. His wolf, restless all night with her so close by but not able to touch, settled down as she snuggled in. He hit the button again on his chair and laid back against the leather with his mate stretched out on top of him. Her head on his shoulder. Her nose tucked against his neck. Her small hand resting against his chest. The scent of her tugged at him and surrounded him. Inhaling, he rubbed his cheek against the top of her head and closed his eyes.

An insistent beeping brought his eyes open. Ria was still snuggled up to him, one hand on his chest, a leg thrown over his. He liked it, though he would have preferred to be naked in his bed. The beeping was coming from his phone, which he could locate by sound. He was grateful Ria kept sleeping. She probably couldn't hear the faint beep, because her hearing wasn't on the same level as his. Reluctantly, he disengaged himself from her. Without thinking, he lifted her, blanket and all, and deposited her on the bed.

Sure that she was comfortable and undisturbed, he closed the door to the bedroom behind him and checked his phone. "James?"

"Sorry to interrupt your date, but we've got a problem."

"What kind of a problem?" He began putting the loveseat back in order.

"More than one lone wolf was sighted within our territory, and one of our younger males was involved a fight with at least one of them."

"Who? Is he okay?" Drake paused the DVD, in case Ria wanted to finish the movie. It didn't look like he'd have the time to today, after all.

"Yeah, Tim's okay, just young and stupid. Doc is looking at him right now."

"Where are you?"

"Over at Doc's warehouse. You coming?"

Drake heard the commotion in the background and silently cursed under his breath. "Yeah, I'll be there." He ran a hand through his hair and looked for a pad to leave a note.

***

James met him at the warehouse door with an apologetic smile. "Sorry to interrupt, but this needs an Alpha's touch."

Drake clapped him on the back as they moved together down the hallway. There were warehouses like this all over the city. When wolves hid in plain sight, it was necessary. "Not a problem. Ria's asleep, anyway." They were moving toward the main holding area when he felt the weight of James' gaze on his face. "She was tired, and scared."

"Scared?" A note of warning crept into James' voice. "Scared how, Drake?"

"She doesn't believe me when I say that she's my mate." A howl from inside the warehouse filled the corridor, breaking up any chance for discussion. "Doc's got Tim?"

"Yeah."

"So who is in the cage?"

The sound of something hitting the side of the cage, hard, echoed down the hallway. He and James took off at a dead run.

Drake skidded to a halt with James right beside him. The sentries guarding the cage had backed up, eyes wary as a wolf threw itself against the bars. Its body heaved each time it pulled back for another assault on its jail. The sentries kept their hands on their weapons, ready to hit it with tranquillizers or silver should the need arise, but the wolf was still in the cage where it was supposed to be. Drake was relieved but worried. If the lone wolf kept this up, he'd kill himself.

Drake took a quick look around. The other cages in Doc's warehouse were empty, used only when wolves who were a danger needed a secure place to heal. Doc's warehouse functioned as a halfway house at times. No one else was in danger from the werewolf that stood in front of him.

"Has he been like this since you picked him up?" Drake gestured toward the angry wolf in the cage. Teeth bared, it had backed away from the silvered bars to stare at him. Its mouth opened on a silent growl.

James nodded, not taking his eyes off the werewolf. "Yes. You think he might be stuck?" He sounded doubtful.

Drake drew in a slow breath, sifting through the scents in the air. He detected something, though none of the usual array of drugs that messed up a werewolf's ability to shift.

"Stay back." It wasn't necessary, but he gave the command just in case one of his people became temporarily stupid. He attempted to make and hold eye contact with the captive. Most people thought in order to be Alpha, one had to be brutal. They forgot brains were a necessary part of the equation. It wasn't just a matter of being strong, it was a matter of being strong, smart, and able to meld the two together.

"Shift," he said, once the wolf focused on him. This wolf was scared. He was in unfamiliar territory, and he'd attacked one of the reigning Pack's juveniles.

Slumped against the cage, he gave a pitiful whine.

"Shift." Drake put more force behind the order.

Submissive wolves couldn't deny an Alpha. Lone wolves tended to be dominant, but how dominant depended on the strength of the Alpha of the area they hailed from. This one smelled of desert. Drake doubted he'd need to take this all the way to a fight.

"Shift."

The sound of bones shifting, the sight of skin and fur moving, followed Drake's command. Tired and frightened, the man looked up from where he crouched on the floor of the cage. He looked dazed, not at all alert.

"Who are you?" Drake asked, making no move to open the door.

The nude man didn't answer. Instead, he rested his head against the cement floor of the cage. His body slowly followed.

"He's passed out. Get some bedding in there. Let him sleep it off." Drake turned away from the cage and gestured for James to follow him. "I'm going to talk to Tim. Listen, the new wolf is not going to know where he is when he wakes up."

James shot him a puzzled look. "Drugs?"

"It has to be something new."

"Do we need Doc?"

"I'll send him here after I'm done with him."

***

"I swear, Drake. I wasn't looking for a fight. All I said to the guy was I'd never seen him before."

Drake waited. If one stayed silent, people tended to fill the void.

Tim was one of those people. "The next thing I knew, he was on me. Boy, am I glad that you taught us how to fight in both forms."

Drake gestured to Tim's arm. "When did he do that?"

"He just shifted in mid-fight, man, and latched on."

"When he first attacked, he didn't say anything?"

"No, he was just standing there one minute, and the next, his fists were flying, and then…" Tim swiped his good hand over his face, dislodging some of the dried blood. "Then he was in wolf form hanging from my arm." He held out his arm.

"You need to shift in order to heal, but not here." The sutures that doc had put in would hold if Tim changed, although they would bleed. Drake pushed himself to his feet. "Wait for me. You can change at the house."

The boy heaved a sigh of relief.

As they pulled into the ranch's drive, the smell of home-cooked food hit Drake's nose. Tim's stomach was growling, or that could be his.