Greatest Gift (9 page)

Chapter
Seventeen

While he was digging in the pantry for the roasting
pan
Jakob’s
phone began to ring. Picking it up from
the counter, Holland saw Grady’s name and a goofy picture flashed on the
screen. “It’s Grady,” she called out.

“Answer it for me, please. God damn pan is wedged
in here.”

Several other and bluer words came from the space
as she swiped her finger over the phone’s display. “
Jakob’s
phone, Holland speaking.”

“Well, hello there, darling. At last we have a
moment to speak without that overbearing ass listening in.”

“You do realize I’ll be repeating everything you
say to him later, right?”

“What the fuck is Grady saying?”

“Why isn’t
Jakob
answering his phone? Good god, have you killed him off already? Tell me it
ain’t
so, darling. Mainly because I’ll owe Nix a hundred
bucks.”

“He’s in the pantry attempting to get the roasting
pan from where it is apparently wedged in. I fully expect things to go horribly
wrong at any moment.”

“Good, Nix can calm his ass down about the hundred
on that bet. Sorry, buddy. Listen, I need to talk to him, seriously here.”

The change in his tone told Holland way more than
his words could have. Walking to the pantry, she nearly groaned at the
predicament that
Jakob
appeared to be in. Hiked up on
the shelving, he had his hands wrapped around the pan on the top shelf, and
using a braced foot, was trying to haul it out from its perch. “Why don’t you
get down from there before Grady or Nix wins a bet with you breaking your
bloody neck and talk to him? I will get the stepstool, and try to see what is
holding it in place.”

In a sudden move that had her taking a startled
step back,
Jakob
dropped down to land lightly on his
feet. He plucked the phone from her fingers, and giving her a kiss on her
parted lips, brushed past her.

It was shit like that, that smacked her with the
reminder he wasn’t human. Holland could only hope that her brain would finally
get that fact nestled in deep. Otherwise, she truly wasn’t sure she could
survive stunts like he’d just pulled. If she’d tried that she’d have at least
twisted her ankle, at worst broken something. Not that she was a klutz per se,
but she had her moments.

Releasing a breath, Holland grabbed the step ladder
and went to retrieve the pan. Unlike
Jakob
, she
wasn’t into pulling on it until it and the shelf came at her. With a careful
survey, she determined what it was caught on, and what held it up at the angle.
Three minutes later, she had the pan in the sink, giving it a scrub.

Jakob’s
arms slipped around her middle a couple minutes after she’d dried it
off. Tipping her head back to look up at him, she leaned into his hold. “What
did Grady want?”

“Tell me what he said first. He wouldn’t tell me
and it’s bugging me enough that I need to know.”

Turning in his arms, she slipped her hands up and
over his shoulders to clutch behind his neck. “He called you an overbearing
ass, and was rather happy to talk to me without you listening in apparently.
Then he went on about me killing you, demanded to know that it wasn’t true
because he didn’t want to owe Nixon a hundred dollars.”

“Fuckers, those two assholes will bet on literally
anything. If they see a way to make money on something they damn well will.”
Jakob
pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. “Grady called to
let me know that Carson apparently wants to have a chitchat. Don’t know what he
wants, frankly, I don’t care either, but I should probably go. Especially since
Carson isn’t here on his own, or with reinforcements. According to Grady, he’s
here under watch.”

“Under watch? Who’s watching him?”

“I haven’t got a clue but I’m hoping to find out.
Normally, I wouldn’t ask but it sounds relatively safe. Do you want to come
along for the ride?”

Stunned, she gave a nod. “I would. Let me put some
things away and then we can go.” They could finish the prep for their Christmas
dinner later. This meeting took precedence in her mind over everything else.
Carson was responsible for
Jakob’s
tension the last
couple days, and for the pack being on edge. The sooner it was all resolved,
the sooner things could return to normal. Or the version of normal that they
lived anyway.

When
Jakob
pulled his
truck into a spot outside the diner nearly an hour later, Holland shot him a
look. She’d been sure they were heading to wherever this Carson fellow might
be. Biting her tongue, she slid from the vehicle and followed him inside.

Seeing Grady, Nix, Tia and several other pack
members in the diner, she suddenly realized they were in the right place. Not
sure what to do, Holland hung back while
Jakob
stalked toward a corner booth where a man sat, no other diners nearby. She took
a seat at the counter and looked to Grady, maybe he could provide some insight
into things.

“Carson,” was all he said.

It was enough.
Jakob
would share the details when it was time. Until then, she’d sit back and watch.
Should it be necessary, she would jump in, but had the distinct feeling the
others would get there much faster than she could hope to.

Startled when Leona set a cup down and filled it
with coffee, Holland pressed a hand to her chest.

“Sorry, sweetheart. Figured you might be here for a
while yet.”

“Thank you.”

“Did you want anything to eat? Providing that these
boys and Tia haven’t cleaned us out with what appears to be stomachs that are
actually bottomless pits.”

Stifling a laugh, she shook her head, and sipped at
the coffee. “I’m good for the moment, thanks though.”

“You let me know if you change your mind.”

Leona spun away to head down to the counter’s other
end. Peeking around a wolf, Holland noticed a couple older gentlemen munching
on their meals while staring with fascination in Carson’s direction.

A loud bang had her whipping her head around.
Jakob’s
lips were drawn back in a snarl, and if she wasn’t
mistaken, he had claws happening too. Stunned to be witnessing more evidence
that he wasn’t human, she discovered zero fear. The thought had her frowning
while attempting to analyze her feelings, the drama at the table falling away
into the background.

Jakob
had never done anything but make her feel completely safe. He was
definitely overprotective, but even that showed how much he cared for her. He
could be bossy. What man didn’t get that way from time to time? And if she was
going to be fully open at least internally, she could be fucking bossy too when
the situation called for it.

Hell, she’d bossed him around early that afternoon.
He’d seemed to like it if she hadn’t misinterpreted the expression on his face.
Until today, Holland would never have considered bossing
Jakob
Nichols around. Nor would she have dared. She’d never been comfortable enough
around him to try. Until today.

What had changed about today?
Mainly meeting the pack, or rather the majority not including the young
ones who’d all been supervised for winter activities. Taking another sip from
her cup, she continued to mull over the day’s events. But she wasn’t coming up
with anything that stood out to explain her change in regards to
Jakob
. Then again, maybe there wasn’t a rational
explanation for it. Love wasn’t exactly rational.

Nearly spewing out her coffee, she ended up
coughing, and a wolf patted her back. “I’m good,” she wheezed. “Went down the
wrong tube is all.”

“You’re supposed to drink it, not try to breathe it
in.”

“
Ya
think?” she asked,
not even worrying about the
snark
she heard in her
voice.

The wolf let out a laugh but it quickly faded away
under the buzz in her head. Holland was in love with
Jakob
.
She didn’t know when it had happened, or how exactly, but it had. Which meant
she had to figure out what to do about it, and how to break the news to
Jakob
. Shifting her gaze to him, she winced internally. She
really hoped the, until recently, lone wolf didn’t take it too badly. Holland
had gotten used to having him around.

Chapter
Eighteen

Jakob
slammed his hand down on the table. He was having to fight for control
over his wolf while getting into Carson’s face. He didn’t worry about the claws
showing. It would be a good reminder to the traitor that
Jakob
was Alpha, and Carson was trespassing. Which boiled down to
Jakob
having the right to kill the traitorous asshole where he sat, and not a single
person could ever say a word against him.

“Answer the fucking question, you prick.”
Jakob
yanked on the reins holding back his wolf hard. “Why
are you in my town?”

Carson stared back at him, his expression bored. “I
didn’t want to come, but someone pointed out to me that I really should. Not
that it swayed me one iota. That same busybody made it a point to bring it up
to the council, and here I am. Under duress.”

The pieces started to fall into place quickly with
the council mention. That meant the wolves with Carson were definitely not
helping him, they were guarding him. And if they’d brought him to see
Jakob
there was only one reason. Deciding to wait on
playing that particular ace,
Jakob
sneered in the
other wolf’s direction.

“Like I give a shit. If you’re not going to talk,
I’m leaving. Unlike you, I have better things to do with my day.”

“Mm, I can see that. Pretty sweet piece you got
there. I’d do her, if you threw a paper bag over her head. Woof!” Carson
smirked at him.

Jakob
barely held onto his temper. He knew the other wolf was baiting him.
For what purpose, he couldn’t determine, he didn’t have enough to go on yet.
“Good thing she has better taste than to do a reject like you. Now get on with
whatever you have to say before the watchers haul you off to your execution, or
I might save them the gas and do you where you sit.” Carson’s whole body froze
up. “Didn’t think I’d figure it out? Shame on you, Carson. We both know I’ve
always been smarter, faster, and better looking than you. It’s what had you all
pissy in the first place when you started to plan your coup. I’m also better
liked than you could ever be because I actually give a shit about every single
member in the pack. You only viewed the pack as a means to an end. Power,
that’s always been your drug, right?”

Looking ready to dive over the table at him, a
throat being cleared had Carson growling, but settling back in his seat. The
glare he shot at the watcher had no effect. “You always did like to think you
were the smartest wolf in the room. Too bad you didn’t have a clue. One day you
will see the truth. I’m only sad I won’t be around to watch it all unfold.”

“On the other hand there will be no one sad to hear
you’re not going to be around much longer. In fact, I know a couple folks who
will be downright thrilled to know you got what you’ve deserved finally. Hell,
maybe we’ll throw a party.” The dig hit its mark.
Jakob
wouldn’t actually have a party for anything even remotely related to Carson.
The asshole didn’t deserve any additional attention beyond what he’d already
taken, and wasted.

“I’m sure Mom and Dad will be thrilled. They never
did have the vision to see what could be. Always too fucking cowed by the
Alpha.” Carson snorted, and looked out the window.

“Well, if that’s all, I have a dinner to get home
to prepare with my mate, and some gifts to wrap.”
Jakob
pushed up from the table ready to be done with Carson. The wolf was the past,
and his future was a damn sight prettier.

A tight grip on his wrist had his hackles rising,
and
Jakob
didn’t stop the wolf from pushing forward.
“Get your hand off me,” he bit off each word.

Instantly, the hand fell away. Despite his claims
otherwise, Carson wasn’t Alpha material and never would be. Like every wolf in
the place he was compelled to follow the hierarchy and bow under the Alpha’s
will.
Jakob
rarely flexed that portion mainly because
he hated taking someone’s choices away from them. No one deserved that
treatment from another person.

“Apologies, Alpha.” The words were nearly strangled
in Carson’s attempt to cut them off. But his wolf knew its place, and had to
offer them up. Digging in a pocket, Carson came out with an envelope he held up
and out to
Jakob
. “For the parents. Whether they read
it or not is their choice. It’s the only reason I came here. The rest of you
fuckers don’t deserve an apology. I only did what was instinctual and what no
one else had the balls to do. I failed. Now I’m facing the music.”

Knowing it for the last request that it was,
Jakob
took the envelope and pocketed it. He was looking at
it not like he was granting a soon-to-be dead man’s wish, but helping his pack
mates close a door left wedged open by uncertainty for too long. He could have
said something else but refrained. Instead, he made his way through the pack to
his mate, stopping only long enough to have a word with a watcher.

“He may have been planning a coup here, but that
isn’t enough to earn a death sentence. What am I missing?” he asked, keeping
his voice low enough only the watcher could hear him.

A glance around to the others, and the man rolled
his shoulders in agitation. “He tried it again with a pack who adopted him in.
Only he didn’t stop at the planning stages. During the coup he injured the
Alpha’s only child. She’ll heal from her wounds but won’t ever be the same. The
Alpha went to the council, and given Carson’s prior history, plus some things
he did between here and there, ruled he would receive a life sentence. Carson
petitioned for death instead. Shocked everyone given his driving need to
survive. The council argued against it but eventually conceded to his request.”

Not sure what to say to that
Jakob
shook the man’s hand, and then moved to his mate to slip his hand into hers and
help her off the stool.

In the truck
Jakob
worked
at calming himself down while attempting to process everything he’d learned.
Having Holland by his side, her scent filling the cab helped greatly. The hand
she put on his thigh after she slid onto the hump pushed more tension out.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“What do you want to know, sweet cheeks?”

“He said something that upset you. Not at the
beginning, but partway through before you got up. I didn’t see your wolf react,
but everyone in there tensed up like they were ready to dive in to separate you
both.”

“Not hearing a question,” he commented. When her
fingers tightened on his leg he blew out a long breath. “He made a snide remark
about you. I had to fight to keep from ripping his heart out through his
chest.”

“I’m glad you didn’t. I know your world is
different from anything I’ve known before, but I’d be quite upset if you did something
with full knowledge and ended up with watchers yourself. Especially when I
finally decided to move in with you.”

Positive he’d heard wrong it took him a second to
fully grasp what she’d said. Pulling off the road, he threw on the four ways
after dropping it into park. “You’re serious?” he asked turning to face her.

“I was planning to wait to tell you until we were
opening gifts, but realized you needed to have something happier to think
about. You know, rather than continuing to contemplate why you let that asshole
live.”

Cupping her face,
Jakob
kissed her. He was beyond words. “You’re sure?”

“You keep asking questions like that. Makes me
wonder if you’re ready for me to move in with you or not.”

“I am,” he assured her. Another kiss and then he hugged
her tight. “Best Christmas gift ever.”

He could feel her laughing. “You haven’t even seen
what I bought you.”

“Nothing could top this.”

“We should get home before someone decides to pull
over and check on us. In this weather I wouldn’t be surprised if a passerby
hadn’t already thought to call emergency services.”

Since she had a valid point, he let her go, and
then got them moving again. He needed to get her home, naked, and all sweaty.
Pronto.