Moonlight (7 page)

Exasperated, I threw my hands up in the air. He had it all planned out, didn’t he? And Brady! How could he throw his support behind this guy? Official or not, just the thought of him turning against his own brother… It was too much. Before I could say another word, I spotted Diana and Aiden walking up the steps to the glass front doors. They appeared friendly enough, smiling as they talked and walked toward the building. Clearly, his concerns about her had been removed. I wondered what lies she’d spun during our time apart.

Aiden’s hand on her back as he ushered her toward the glass door unnerved me. I know he was just being polite and courteous, but any physical contact set my already-hot blood boiling. If he only knew the truth about her and what had been going on behind his back, he wouldn’t look so happy.

And that Diana chick, I wondered how much involvement she’d had in this? Aiden held the door open for Diana. She walked inside, took off her coat, hung it on the rack, and sauntered over to Micah. He smiled wickedly at her as she threw an arm around his neck.

That confirmed it for me. She was playing to the highest bidder. First Brady, then Aiden, now Micah. Skanky bitch!

“What’s going on here?” Aiden asked, his eyes darting to each of our faces. His jaw tightened as he eyed his brother.

“We’re continuing the discussion you refused to finish,” Micah said.

“There is nothing to discuss. I said the matter is closed.” Aiden’s tone threatened violence.

“Actually, brother,” Brady said, “Micah makes a very valid point. I tried to say this before, but you wouldn’t listen.”

Aiden twitched with anger and spoke through clenched teeth. “You’re siding with him?”

The air suddenly became too thick to breathe. Three dominant males all sending off waves of anger and violence in such close proximity. I felt it, and I was only human. I looked to Diana to see if she might be feeling the same way. The look of satisfaction on her face told me all I needed to know. She drank up this show of power like water on a hot day. Must be a wolf thing, because while I felt tense and uneasy, she smiled and melted against Micah’s body.

Brady stared at Aiden, but he didn’t make eye contact. “I’m taking the pack into consideration—as you should be, brother.”

“You think I’m not considering the pack?” Aiden snarled and banged his fist on the heavy oak reception desk. “I’m bending over backwards for them. Do you think Connor would have kowtowed as much as I have to the whims of this new council?”

“Father would never have needed to,” Brady said cautiously.

“Exactly. He ruled with an iron paw. His word was law, and so is mine. Fallon is my mate, and that is final.”

“Fallon can be your mate. But she is not pack.” Micah spoke carefully as if determined to drive his point home painfully slow. “And may never be.”

Aiden’s upper lip curled, and I swear I saw his teeth grow into fangs.

This situation was getting dangerous. I needed to defuse it, if possible. “I’ve already said I would turn. I’m willing to do whatever necessary to be part of this pack.”

“That’s not good enough.” Micah said.

Aiden grabbed him by the shirt and slammed him into the floor. “Not good enough for who? Give me one good reason not to tear out your throat right here and now.”

My heart sped so fast I felt lightheaded. These wolves were on the brink of bloodshed, and somewhere, deep down, I wanted to see it. The excitement of it, the justified retribution, the power. I wanted to witness my Aiden ripping Micah’s throat out and taking his place as rightful Alpha. These wolves were having a serious effect on me. I looked again to Diana. Eyes wide and a glossy smile plastered across her face, she too seemed excited to witness a battle.

Brady intervened just as the nails on Aiden’s hands began to grow into claws. “Calm down, brother. Hear him out.”

“I’ll hear none of his treason. I’m the Alpha and it is my right to put him down for his insubordination. You’re all here as witness.”

“He’s not being insubordinate. He’s making a valid complaint. It may not be what you want to hear, but you as the leader must listen; you know this.”

Aiden growled but released his grip on Micah. “Speak quickly.”

“You say you have the pack in mind, but your selected mate is attached to the vampire clan. They are a danger to us and our way of life.”

“They are no more a danger than you are,” Aiden warned.

“They are our allies.” I added.

“Allies who bring the Acta Sanctorum to our doorstep. Allies who cause the destruction of our  pack. Allies who are directly responsible for the death of our previous Alpha,” Micah said. “Your father! They are the reason he’s dead.”

“You’re twisting things around,” I said, remembering the previous battle we’d had to fight with the Acta Sanctorum. The Saints were hunters, plain and simple. They didn’t differentiate between kinds of supernatural beings, they hated them all equally and made it their mission to destroy them all. To blame the vampires for the Acta Sanctorum’s attack would be like cursing the sun for rising every morning. “The vampires were not the cause of any of the wolves’ problems, and you know it. The Saints were already in your back yard when Alyssa came to Connor for support.”

“No, Alyssa did not come to Connor.” Micah narrowed his eye sat me. “She came to Aiden for support. She used your relationship to gain the wolves’ assistance, and the end result was half the pack, and our former Alpha, being slaughtered.”

My blood boiled in my veins. “Livid” was not a strong enough word to describe how mad I was. How dare he twist the situation around like that! “Alyssa and the rest of the vampire clan had already been made honorary members of this pack. All pack members are eligible for pack protection, and she was exercising her rights. She just happened to run into Aiden first when asking for help.”

“And I have no doubt that once you are named Alpha Female, she’ll feel free to exercise that right any time she sees fit. How many more pack members will have to put their lives on the line for a vampire?”

I saw right through his little game. He really wanted to push my buttons, and for a moment he’d done an excellent job of it. But I knew Alyssa wasn’t his real problem. She was a means to an end. I wanted him to admit his real intentions.

“Is she really your problem? I seriously doubt that. What if I give up my friend for the pack? What then? When that’s not enough, will you find something else to use as a reason I shouldn’t be the Alpha Female of this pack? Admit it. All you care about is taking the job yourself.”

Micah looked me in the eye. Even in his prone position, with Aiden looming over him, he still looked intimidating. “You’re right. I don’t want to see you as the Alpha Female. You’re nothing but a whore who hides in the bedroom waiting like a bitch in heat for her man.”

I didn’t see Aiden’s hand fly, but I heard the smack as it collided with Micah’s face. “Never talk to my mate like that again. You hear me?”

Oh, how I wished I could have been the one to knock that son of a bitch down. But I was glad enough that Aiden had. Part of me wished he’d done more.

No pain registered on Micah’s face. His jaw tightened and his eyes rose to meet Aiden’s. “She’s not worthy of that title, and neither are you. Everyone knows it, even your brother.”

I don’t know what the hell I’d done to him to deserve his ire, but Micah really had it in for me. Deep down I knew he was just grasping for anything that might give credit to his challenge. He wanted to be the Alpha and would take down anyone in his way to gain the title.

“And when I’m Alpha, I’ll put that bitch down,” Micah added with a devilish grin.

That was crossing the line. Call me a bitch, hate me, whatever. Threaten my life and it’s on. “I’ll be the first in line to spit on your dead body after Aiden kills you.”

“You won’t be alive to do it.” Diana lunged at me.

Brady grabbed hold of her and jerked back. “You touch her and I’ll kill you myself.”

Diana snarled but did not fight Brady’s hold.

“Let’s do this right now,” Aiden responded, towering over Micah on the floor. “Why stand on ceremony? He wants action, I’ll give it to him. You and Diana are witnesses.”

“Enough!” Brady shouted. “Let him go, brother. Micah’s made a formal challenge. It will be dealt with in the proper manner. Do you accept?”

Maybe it was all the anger and testosterone in the air, I don’t know, but even I was feeling the need to fight something.

“Not now, brother. The pack must witness. You know this. Let Micah go.” Brady, still holding Diana at bay, stepped in between Aiden and Micah.

Aiden’s muscles tensed, but he gave in to his brother and backed off. “Assemble the pack tomorrow. You have twenty-four hours.” He turned and stalked away.

Grumbling under his breath, Aiden stormed into the bedroom, muscles tensed, teeth grinding, a low rumbling growl slowly working its way up his throat. If he wasn’t in such a foul mood, I’d be pretty turned on. He was a drop-dead gorgeous man in a happy mood, but when riled up, he put off a sexy masculine mojo that I couldn’t resist. It had to be his animal magnetism at work. I had to put those thoughts in my mental to-do list for later. Now it was time to concentrate on getting ready to rumble with the would-be usurpers.

“I should have seen this.” Aiden slammed his fist into the dresser. “I’ve been so distracted.”

“You’ve been hard at work building the pack back to full force.”

“Only to have Micah attempt to take it out from under me. And to use my own brother.”

“Why would Brady listen to him?” That was the part that must have bothered him the most. Brady was his fraternal twin. They were inseparable. That this Micah could sway him must have really struck a nerve. Only a night before, Brady had pushed me so hard to make the change to ensure his brother the title. “Brady wants you as the Alpha, I just know it. There has to be some underlying issue we’re not seeing.”

“Brady just wants to make sure that he is not the one to have to shoulder that responsibility.” His low tone did not mask the seething anger beneath. “I’ll deal with him later.”

Brother against brother. That was a fight I did not want to see. Aiden would probably win, but at what cost? Werewolves, it seemed, were a very physical and violent bunch. I wasn’t sure how I would cope with this need to physically deal with every issue. It was a very unappealing side effect to becoming one of them. I hadn’t even turned, and I was already set to take on Diana.

“And don’t you get any ideas about fighting with Diana,” Aiden said matter-of-factly, as if he had the ability to read my thoughts.

“Thanks, baby, but I’m not hiding behind you. If she wants a fight with me, she’ll get one. I can hold my own...” I wasn’t going for cocky, but that’s the way the words came out.

“She’ll rip you apart.”

That brought me crashing back to reality. Yes, I was probably a little outmatched. She’d been a wolf longer than I had, but once I transitioned we’d be on even ground. At least, I hoped so. “I think you’re underestimating me just a little here.” I tried to keep the worry from my voice, but I doubted I was really doing a good job of it. I was sure Aiden could smell any fear I might have.

“I don’t mean to say you’re weak.” Some of the anger had diminished from his voice. “It’s just… you’re human. Even if you transitioned tonight, you’d still be weak for a little while. That means no matter how good, you’d be in no condition to fight.”

“I’ll just have to wait until I am in condition, and then teach her some manners.”

For a moment, he stared at me as if confused, and then pride warmed his gaze. He closed the gap between us and cupped my face in his strong hands. “How can anyone say you were not born to be an Alpha?”

“You act like I’m doing something special.” Now it was my turn to look confused. “I’m not going to back down to a bully.”

His right eyebrow arched sharply. “Even when that bully grows a set of fangs, some claws, and a tail?”

As long as the reward was Aiden holding me in his arms forever, I felt like I could take on the world, and win. “I’ll just have to grow a sharper set of fangs and claws myself, then, won’t I?”

Did I actually say that and sound excited about the transition? It must have been the pheromones or something he was putting off, but I felt almost ready and even a little excited to do it.

“You’re so sexy when you’re being aggressive,” he growled in my ear.

“That’s my line,” I chuckled. “Speaking of aggressive, how do you think you’ll stack up against Micah?”

He pulled back sharply and his eyes narrowed, creating a little crease between them. “Is that doubt I hear in your voice?”

“No. Not doubt. I would never doubt your ability. It’s just that I’ve never seen Micah fight. He could fight dirty, you know?” I said, hoping to backtrack a little. I didn’t want him thinking I was questioning his manhood or Alpha-hood. “I worry, okay? That’s my job as mate.” I stood on tiptoe and gave him a quick kiss on the nose.

Aiden tossed his head back and scoffed. “Micah’s strong, sure, but I am the true Alpha. He puffed out his chest. “I can take care of him.”