The Power Of The Bite (17 page)

Chapter Eighteen

Dax stood alone on the porch of what was now his house, but unlikely to be his home, and looked out over the assembled pack. The ten enforcers that had been employed by his father stood to one side of the gathering, the three official pack elders stood on the other. Behind them every man, woman and child that considered themselves part of the Portrain pack were spread out over the grass.

Unlike the crowd that gathered for his father’s funeral, this time the pack were in human form, and in Dax’s opinion it made things a lot easier for him. The concepts he wanted to talk to his pack about were to do with being human, not wolves. Wolves didn’t discriminate against another species. They might eat them, but that wasn’t discrimination – it was the difference between predator and prey. The problems in his pack were definitely human in nature.

“Members of the Portrain pack, I have spent a long night in reflection considering your demands. I stand before you this morning, to let you know of my decision.” Dax looked around at the faces he’d grown up with. Some he knew more than others, but they were all familiar to him. Not that it made him feel any better. The fact that any of them could treat his mating so lightly was going to take some forgiving on Dax’s part.

“My simple answer to your demands is NO!”

There was a collective gasp among those gathered, and a buzz of worried conversation that sprung up as the pack digested what Dax’s decision might mean for them. Dax let them have their chit chat for a few moments and then he held up his hand. The group fell silent.

“I have been in touch with the Paranormal Council and asked then to appoint a new Alpha for this pack as there are no other Alphas here, and you need a strong leader to ensure the stability and safety of your homes.”

More chatter, some excited, some concerned. More concerned. Once again Dax let them have their say, paying no attention to any of it, and then held up his hand again. When the chatter didn’t die down this time, he took in a deep breath, letting out his Alpha power with his exhale, sensing when it blanketed everyone in front of him. Yep. That shut them up.

“Show some respect. I hadn’t finished talking,” he snarled. “The council said NO! Apparently, the Elders believe that it is time for this pack to be dragged into the twenty-first century and they believe that I’m the right Alpha for the job. So if you want an Alpha to keep you safe, you’re stuck with me.”

Stunned silence. A long stunned silence. And then one of the pack elders stepped forward. George. A reasonable man who’d always wished he had been an Alpha, but clearly wasn’t born to be one. The man had been one of Nathaniel’s closest advisors, so Dax would hear him out.

“So I take it that you will accept the pack’s conditions on remaining the Alpha of this pack? You will hide your association with vampires and take a female wolf as Alpha Mate to rule by your side?”

“You clearly didn’t hear me the first time. No, I definitely will not. I already have a mate.” Dax was almost certain that one of the candidates for that position would have been George’s daughter. Pretty woman, but with no backbone to call her own. Dax wouldn’t have considered her if he was straight.

“Dax,” George started to say, but he stopped when Dax growled, the sound low and mean as it rumbled from his chest.

“Alpha,” George started again, “this pack has always been run by a male and female wolf. To change that now would undermine our status among other packs, weakening us and opening us up to the threat of being taken over by others.”

“And what makes you say that. Has it happened before?”

“Well, not with this pack,” George looked around at his friends, clearly looking for support.

“Can you name other packs this has happened to?” Dax could afford to be patient. For a little while.

“Er…no, not off the top of my head, Alpha, but that is the way it’s always been. You can’t change pack traditions.”

“Pack traditions, I see your point. Old, steeped in history and possibly not useful anymore traditions, you mean. Sounds to me like they need to be changed. Tell me, what pack
laws
would I be breaking by having a male vampire as my Alpha Mate.” Thank the Fates his father had taught him well.

“None, Alpha,” Lance spoke up before George could get a word in. “There are no laws governing who can or should rule a pack except that the person must be Alpha born and the Alpha Mate is one that is chosen by the Alpha to carry out that role. You are Alpha born, of this pack and your father named you as successor in front of witnesses as pack law decrees. Zane is your claimed mate, so he automatically becomes Alpha Mate.”

“I am Alpha born,” Dax agreed, “and my father handed me this pack knowing I had Zane by my side. Indeed, before my father passed on, he welcomed Zane into our family.”

“You can’t go against the will of the pack,” George persisted. “We met yesterday and we all agreed that you should have a female wolf as Alpha Mate. If you go against the will of the pack you will be challenged.”

“By who? You?” Dax raised an arrogant eyebrow, looking down on George, not even bothering to hide his contempt. The man was old, unfit and was only considered an elder in the pack because of his age. He certainly didn’t get his position because of any innate wisdom or because he’d done a great deed for the pack.

“Not me, no.” George backed down quickly. “But the enforcers, the ones who loved and cherished your father and how he ruled the pack. They would challenge you. They won’t serve a vampire.”

Dax looked at Lance. He wouldn’t want to fight the man, but he could, and he would, if he had to. Lance flicked him a quick grin and raised his hand over his heart, dropping to one knee. As if they were one man, all of the other nine enforcers did the same.

“We pledge our lives and loyalty to the safety of Alpha Dax Portrain and the Alpha Mate Prince Zane McLeod.” All ten men spoke as one, their proud, loud voices ringing out across the assembled pack who had been silent since George had spoken up.

“Your pledge is accepted with thanks,” Dax said with a smile. “Please take your place behind me as my new enforcers. We will discuss inner circle positions at another time.”

The men filed up onto the porch, ranging themselves behind Dax for the first time. It was a heady feeling, one that Dax savored for just a quick minute. For the first time he actually felt like an Alpha, and the words Elder Shalom had said to him the night before rang true. An Alpha did what he thought best for the pack, not what the pack thought was best for him. He turned his attention back to George.

“Clearly the enforcers won’t challenge me. Is there anyone else who has a real problem with me, my choice of Alpha Mate, or anything else you guys can cook up?”

“You can’t do this,” George insisted. “The pack won’t follow you or a vampire Alpha Mate.”

Dax looked over his pack again. He didn’t see any signs of hate or disgust. He saw concern, and there could be a number of reasons for that. But nothing he could see, or sense, convinced him that George had the rampant support he clearly thought he had, which was interesting in itself. Dax wondered just what had happened at the meeting the previous day. He’d question Lance about that later.

“The issue of whether or not anyone will follow me, is a problem each individual will have to address for themselves,” he said strongly. “The Portrain pack is now run by two males – myself, son of your Alpha, and my Fated Mate, Zane, High Prince of Russia and apparently known as the Scourge of Europe. He will be a strengthening addition to this pack. The ruling here will not change. If any of you don’t like it, then you are free to leave. Of course, leaving will mean leaving your jobs, homes and anything you have built up here. I will not have dissatisfied or lone wolves in my territory, and I have a firm assurance from the leader of the coven that they won’t have any in theirs either. Your homes are all gifted to you by the pack, so they stay under my control, however you are free to take your personal belongings, provided you move them all in one trip. Once you leave this territory, you will never be allowed to return to Portrain at all.”

“You’ll be left without a pack. The pack will desert you in droves. They won’t stand for a male vampire as Alpha Mate.” George tried one last time, and Dax decided the time for patience was over.

“That really doesn’t bother me. Whether I have ten members or a hundred, this pack will prosper and grow. But it will be full of like-minded people who embrace change. If anyone here chooses not to avail themselves of the opportunities I bring to this pack, that is entirely their choice,” Dax said smoothly. Then he smiled. “I take it you will be one of the first to leave, won’t you George? I’m not sure your wife will be too happy with you being an unemployed bum, homeless and without a pack. And what about your children? Are you going to insist they leave their jobs, homes, schools, the life they have built for themselves to follow you as lone wolves, simply because of your elitist attitude about other paranormals? It’s not as though you have the status to run your own pack, not one recognized by the council at any rate.”

George looked torn, and Dax could well understand why. George’s mate was a shrewd woman who liked her home comforts. Giving it all up to live life as lone wolves would not be something she would ever consider, no matter who Dax was mated to. Dax left George to his fuming and faced the rest of the pack.

“The leader of the coven is planning a lot of work in the south and west side of town. He plans to build new schools, improve infrastructure and encourage other vampires to invest in the area with new businesses of all kinds. The treaty I gave my verbal agreement to last night, with the coven, means that pack members and their businesses will be given first preference for the huge amount of job opportunities that will stem from their plans. This treaty means that any wolf shifter who doesn’t have a problem working with vampires will have the opportunity to work for higher wages, or increase the revenue of their own businesses. There will be education and training opportunities for those that want them. Everyone can benefit in both pack and coven, if we work together to make Portrain the thriving town it deserves to be. I see this as simply the first step to increasing the overall wealth of this pack and individual pack members. Anyone who is interested can make an appointment with Lance to see me tomorrow. If you plan to leave the pack leave your names with Bruce and see to it that you are gone by sundown. That is all I have to say. This meeting is now over.”

Dax turned and grabbed the bag he had left just outside his front door.

“Where will you be until tomorrow, Alpha?” Lance asked respectfully.

“I’m going to go and talk to the ‘Scourge of Europe’. Hopefully he won’t be too rough on me.”

“When will you be back?”

“I’m not sure,” Dax said with a smile, swinging his bag up over his shoulder. “That will be entirely up to my mate, but if anyone does want an appointment with me tomorrow, they can always see me at my club if I’m not back by then.”

“The Alpha and Alpha Mate have always lived in the pack house before now.” Lance wasn’t trying to tell Dax anything he didn’t know, but Dax continued to smile.

“That was the last Alpha. I told you things are changing, and this Alpha will live wherever his mate feels most comfortable. There is no law that says I have to live on pack grounds. I can be Alpha here and live anywhere I chose. You might all want to chat about that amongst yourselves as well. Until my mate can walk freely and without fear on pack grounds, I will be staying on the vampire side of town.”

Dax strode down the porch steps and the pack parted to let him through. Just before he went to get into his vehicle, Dax turned and yelled at George who was arguing with the other two elders in the pack. “One last thing, George. The only reason I haven’t banished you is because of your friendship with my father. Do not abuse that privilege. If you say anything else that I consider an insult to me or my mate, you’re out.”

“Out, Alpha?”

“Out, permanently. As in banished, kaput, lone wolves, never to be seen in this territory again on the pain of death. Out. And that goes for anyone else who has a problem with me or my mate. I am the Alpha here, and it would pay for all of you to remember that. Don’t say you haven’t been warned.”

Swinging himself into his SUV, Dax gunned the engine and took off down the driveway. He wasn’t sure where Zane would be, but he was going to find him if it took all day and half the night. He hoped it wouldn’t because Zane must be desperate for some blood by now. Dax hoped that as the man was feeding, he might be inclined to forgive his mate, all at the same time.

Chapter Nineteen

Zane punched backwards with his fist, and then swung around, knocking Royce off his feet, with a sweeping leg movement.

“Damn, man, when you’re in a shitty, you get right mean. We’re meant to be just training,” Royce complained, as he got himself back up on his feet and faced Zane again.

“This is training,” Zane grunted, as Royce moved quickly and slugged him in the stomach. He grabbed hold of Royce as the man went past him and threw him against the nearest tree, which was, oh, about twenty foot away. Royce landed with a thud, went to get up, and then sunk back down.

Feeling just a little bit guilty, Zane went and helped his friend back onto his feet and supported him as they went back to the coven house. Although the place wasn’t exactly habitable, in light of what had happened at the pack house the day before, none of the vampires wanted to cause trouble for Dax by staying in the houses they had been allowed to buy when they first came to Portrain. It essentially meant they were camping out indoors. There was no electricity or gas supplies, and the water had to be boiled. Broz and Van were under the huge house, trying to determine what was wrong with the supply, although personally, Zane thought the pipes were just a bit rusty and just needed a thorough flush.

“You just couldn’t go easy on him, could you,” Seb grumbled as he took the injured Royce off Zane’s hands and settled him on a pile of cushions on the floor. Seb was already sporting a black eye and a bruised jaw, but Zane could still feel ants crawling all over his skin and he turned his gaze to Ewan and Foyle, who were watching something on a laptop.

“Oh no,” Foyle said, catching his eye and shaking his head. “I’m not training with you today and neither is Ewan. You need to find your mate and take out your frustrations in a more constructive manner. You’re not beating on either one of us today.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Zane said, walking out into the kitchen. Of course he did know what his friends were talking about. He had claimed a mate. Unlike before, when only Dax had claimed him, Zane couldn’t go without the taste of his mate’s blood for more than a day. And it had been well over twenty four hours since he’d suckled at Dax’s veins. Just thinking about the sweetness, Dax’s special ingredient and the sheer potency of his shifter’s blood made Zane groan. Fuck, he was so hungry.

The urge to go and track Dax down was nearly impossible to control. But two things stopped Zane in his tracks. The first was a respect for Dax’s position in his pack. The mood Zane was in, he was likely to have Dax stripped and naked within seconds, his teeth and dick embedded in the man in under a minute. Given he really wouldn’t care if anyone else was around, that could be seen as something that would make Dax appear weak in front of his pack members. So Zane couldn’t go there.

The second thing, the one that had Zane’s heart aching and made him feel sick, was he wasn’t sure enough of Dax to know what the man had decided about his pack’s demands. Zane knew, for all of his posturing the day before, if Dax took on the sham of a female as Alpha Mate, and stayed with his pack, then Zane would be forced to visit him in secret if he wanted to see him at all. His pride told him that type of situation would prove unbearable in a very short space of time. The way Dax had treated him before he’d been allowed to claim the wolf was bad enough. Now they were double claimed, Zane was fairly sure he couldn’t do it. It wasn’t only his pride at stake, it was his heart as well.

But his options were pretty limited. Within a few days Zane would go feral. Broz, who was the only one strong enough, would be forced to kill him, which in turn would kill Dax’s wolf. He thumped the kitchen counter in frustration, and then when that wasn’t enough to ease his agitation, Zane ripped the counter top from its bindings, slinging it to the floor.

“Wow, a camp out. Looks like fun. Hope you’ve got room for one more. Where’s Zane?” Dax. Dax was here, at the coven house, chatting to the others in the living room like it was just another day. What could that mean? Zane gripped what was left of the counter framing, willing himself to stay in control.

“I think he’s decided to remodel the kitchen.” Zane heard Foyle’s droll reply. The grip Zane had on the framing was causing it to crack. And then he smelled it – Dax’s blood, and then he heard it, Dax’s voice, a lot closer to him this time.

“Hey babe. Awesome exit from the pack house yesterday. Did you miss me? Sorry I took so long to get here. Had to get a few things sorted.”

Swapping his hands over, keeping a firm grip of the splintered wood, Zane turned around to see Dax smiling, apparently very pleased to see him and with a lump in his trousers that was hard to ignore.

“What are you doing here?” Wow, he managed to speak, complete with fangs. He impressed himself.

“Came to be with you babe. If you’d stayed yesterday you would have known that for yourself.”

“You gave up your position?” Zane was barely hanging on and now his damned mate was coming closer. How unfair was that?

“Nope. Apparently I’m not allowed to. Council said so.” How could Dax be so damned cheerful, and why did that thick vein he have running down the side of his neck look so inviting – it was tempting him beyond what any one person could bear.

“Then why…” Zane couldn’t say anymore. His eyes had turned completely red, his fingers were two inch talons and there was nothing left of the wood he’d been clinging too. His sole focus was on Dax’s neck and Zane just couldn’t stop himself anymore. He pounced, grabbing Dax firmly with one hand, while ripping the man’s clothes to shreds with the other.

“Just as well I prepared for this.” Dax’s voice rose on a squeak, as Zane turned him around, pushed him up against the wall, his fingers forcing Dax’s delicious ass muscles apart. Zane quickly found out what his mate was talking about. He nudged the silicone plug that Dax was wearing and then tore it out, before freeing his own cock. Pushing deep inside, Zane felt his cock completely encased in a warm, well-lubed, heat. Dax slumped against the wall and tilted his head letting Zane sniff right up the side of Dax’s neck before he plunged his fangs into the throbbing vein that had tempted him from day one.

“Fuck…” Dax groaned, but there was no pain or panic in his man. Zane could tell that from the taste of the blood that was filling his mouth, his throat and his very essence. Arousal, check. Excitement, check. Happiness, check. Love – it was there in bucket loads, and as Zane drank he finally started to calm down, the crawling on his skin eased, the anger he’d been filled with since he left the pack house just washed away, and as he slowly rutted his hips against his mate, Zane felt peace claim his whole body.

Dax moaned, and grunted, his sounds an aphrodisiac to Zane’s ears. But he didn’t want to risk harming his mate by moving any faster. He gripped Dax’s hips hard when the man tried to force the pace, his fangs unwilling to let go of the tasty morsel he had in his mouth. Zane drank until he knew he was fully in control of his angst, before withdrawing his teeth, lovingly licking the wounds closed. Then he focused on what Dax would need.

“You want harder? Faster?” He whispered in Dax’s ear.

“Please,” Dax moaned. “Need you so damn much.”

Zane could totally understand how his mate was feeling. Now that one hunger had been satiated the other one raised it’s head. His hands leaving Dax’s hips, Zane slid them under Dax’s armpits, swinging his mate’s whole body around, and forcing him over the broken counter top. Not that there was a lot of force involved. Dax went willingly, sinking down, tilting up his ass, and Zane took full advantage.

Pushing, rather than pulling on Dax’s shoulders, Zane released one hand, grabbing Dax’s flailing arms, and pinning them behind Dax’s back in a firm grip. Then, with one hand on Dax’s hip to hold himself steady, Zane moved, getting faster and faster, long strokes that didn’t leave an inch of Dax’s inner channel untouched.

“My cock, Zane please, touch me,” Dax begged.

“You won’t need it.” There was a promise in Zane’s voice he planned on keeping. He pounded his wolf hard, reveling in the fact his big mate could take it, Dax making his enjoyment in every thrust known, loudly. Zane spared a brief thought for his friends in the other room, and then just as quickly dismissed it. All of his friends had expressed their concerns about Dax’s absence the night before. Now they would know those concerns were unfounded. His mate had come to him.

“Zane please, Zane, oh fuck, Zane, yes, keep going. Harder, just a little more, Zane. Fuck. Love you, love you so much.” Dax’s last words were more of a scream and Zane felt the heat around him tighten to the point of rendering him immobile. That was all he needed. He slumped over Dax’s body, gently licking up and down Dax’s neck as their bodies trembled with the force of their combined orgasm.

“Damn, babe, you turn me inside out,” Dax said after a long few minutes, satisfaction drenching his voice. “I feel positively sleepy.”

“We’ve only got floors. Won’t be that comfortable,” Zane said as he gently eased out of Dax’s body, and helped the man stand upright, holding him close.

“The bed at my apartment is comfier, and,” Dax added when he saw Zane open his mouth to object, “There is another apartment above the club that is more than big enough to house your six friends. A pair of them will have to use the living room, but there are two bedrooms, furniture and an endless supply of hot water in all three bathrooms.”

“Count us in,” Broz said, his voice a shock in the kitchen. “These floors are damned uncomfortable and it’s going to take some work to get this house in order. You feeling okay now, my friend.”

Zane nodded, as Dax said, “Well, it is possible that I might be able to help you with your house renovation issues tomorrow.”

“What do you mean?” Zane asked, walking through with his mate into the living room, where apparently Dax had dropped an overnight bag. Thank goodness. He didn’t have enough clothes with him to share. All Zane had had to do was zip up. The clothes Dax had been wearing were only fit for the rubbish bin. Zane made a mental note to buy his mate some new ones. It wasn’t fair for Dax to pay for his lack of control.

“Let’s just say,” Dax said with a smile, as he slipped off his boots, the only items of clothing that had survived Zane’s rampage, and pulling out a pair of jeans from his bag. “I dangled vampire money in front of my pack. Who knows, we might get some takers. Now who’s for lunch in the club? My treat.”

“Beats cold cuts and baked beans,” Foyle said with a laugh. “We can go over what we need for the house while eating lunch.”

Zane knew there was a lot of things his mate wasn’t saying, and he was determined to hear all about what Dax had been up to in the twenty four hours they’d been apart. His stomach rumbled reminding him he hadn’t eaten food since the day before either. The discussion could wait a few hours until the two men were alone. Maybe sometime during that conversation, Zane could let his mate know how much he loved him too. In fact, he would make a point of it. Oh, and get in a kiss or two. Kissing with full blown fangs was damn near impossible, but now that his hunger had been eased somewhat, he could definitely find time for some oral delights of another kind. Starting with a kiss.