Pack, page 7
He rolls his eyes skywards and sighs heavily. We pull apart momentarily and he twists, bucking me slightly upwards as he reaches over the edge of the bed for his wallet on top of his jeans on the floor. He pulls his upper body back onto the bed and smirks at me, waving the small but all important protective package at me.
“You do the honours.” He smiles at me sweetly. Resting back against the pillows. His hands glide up my straddled thighs. I arch an eyebrow up sharply.
“Making the woman do all the work while you what, just sit back and take it in?” I tease moving down his body. He’s well built for a lad. Medium build, not too big, and no where near waif like. All muscles with just the right level of definition without being overdone.
“Something like that.”
“Wow, you must’ve had a really long day and be tired or something. Hope you’re actually up for this and that it doesn’t leave a bad impression on me.” I smile back at him, opening the package at the corner. Conall’s smile drops off his face and he snatches the condom out of my hands.
It’s a taunt. Because not one part of his body is soft right now, or was before I teased him. The reason he didn’t make it to the shower to clean up for me was because we both wanted this so instantly, when we saw each other. A shower just seemed like a stupid delay in our gratification. “Oh hell no.” He rips it open and half sitting up, puts it on himself. “There will be no bad reports being heard about this wolf.” He says guiding me to him. We start our rhythm without hesitation, without pause. Our bodies fall into sync and then it’s all hands on. Hold on. Hold on fast.
I remember that encounter so vividly. It was natural, playful. It was Conall at his most relaxed. He was at ease with me then. Because we were just getting to know one another. Not like now. When we know each other. And we’re not at ease with each other. At All. At least, I’m not with him. He might think he is with me, but that’s because he has ulterior motives. I’m sure of it.
I look around my surroundings and back at the male werewolf at the centre of my distracted attention. Conall Wakely is a competitive werewolf. He likes fighting, he likes being right, he likes being lauded and followed around by his pack mates like he’s the boss. He likes to lead and call the shots, live on his own terms.
And I can’t decided if he would think that I’m the prize to be won by helping out in looking for Paris and finding him. Or if Paris is the prize, finding him so Conall can do what he is always itching to do to Paris. Fight him.
14
The first night of lunar week was a bust. Nothing to go on. No news on Paris. Just my foggy memory of two people dragging an unconscious Paris into a white van. It happened fast too. Sure they stuck a needle in him and he went down in about three seconds, but they moved him fast too. Even with me howling and fighting them and trying to weight Paris down. Paris is a big man. All muscle. He’s no light weight. Which makes me wonder if they were actually human. Maybe they were professional kidnappers.
I try to recall if I picked up their scent or not. I can’t remember. There probably wasn’t time. After all, we were ambushed, Paris was kidnapped on our way out to dinner. Within 48 hours, it has become apparent we have no leads, no ideas, nothing to go on. The second night of lunar week, also a bust.
Three nights in and there are less werewolves here at Paris’s place that seemed to become the centre point for a war room. But everyone’s still angry, tense, and ready to go. We’ve all be put on call. Waiting for someone to give us something to do. Waiting for an order, a command.
A challenge, a ransom, a taunt, a fight. For absolutely anything to happen, again.
Conall Wakely and I are sitting on the front steps off Paris’s apartment and I’m popping pain killer pills like candy. They seem ineffective for the amount of pain I’m in. I think this is what a migraine must feel like. The spot where I was hit on the side of my head, the day before, has not let up. As a result, I’m unable to bring on a shape shift, to heal myself. My werewolf just won’t cooperate with my very human need to be well.
So I can fight whoever took Paris. All the Alpha’s are running around doing their Alpha thing, being in command, working out strategies, running down contacts, trying out theories and sending out search parties.
Conall has been assigned to body guard duty for me. Or as I prefer to think of it, baby sitting duty. And I’ve been assigned to the sidelines. Everyone thinks it would be too much for me to be involved. I’d be too emotional and of no use to them. I think emotions make great fuel for purpose.
But I’m a beta wolf, who’s without her Alpha and once again, when Paris isn’t around it becomes obvious to me, where exactly I stand in the hierarchy of his pack, the Manhattan Maen. I’m a female, beta werewolf from another pack.
I’m not one of them, so I don’t the privilege of looking for him. Of knowing what they’re doing, to get him back.
My sister, the only Alpha female from the Breukelen pack has offered her services, along with a few other Breukelen warrior wolves. She was around for the first night, but has to my understanding, returned to Brooklyn since. Again, I’m not sure if it’s some sort of ploy or if there’s really nothing she and the others can do. Nobody’s really telling me anything.
I glance across at Conall and back down the once again normal looking suburban street. We’ve been sitting out here in silence together for about twenty minutes. It’s odd that we’re back together again, so to speak, on a lunar week. Brought back together by of all things, my pack mate.
My love life, relationships, they’re always so damn complicated. It’s this thought that that makes me realise, amongst the chaos of Paris’s kidnapping, there is one werewolf I haven’t seen down here, offering themselves up for pack duty.
I look across at Conall. “Let’s go talk to Gabby Colton.”
His eyes go wide and he smiles. “Let’s.”
15
The last time Gabby Colton saw me, I was all but fucking Paris, her pack leader in front of her, while she was pinned to the ground with silver knives at my doing. So it’s fairly safe to say, when she opened the door to her house, she was not happy to see me.
“How the hell did you find me?”
Gabby had gone to lengths after that encounter to move. To be out of sight after that event. She wanted distance between us at all costs. It seems I’d done the impossible and scared an alpha werewolf.
“I’m just that clever and resourceful.” Actually what I was, was observant. In a casual conversation I happened to be around with another Manhattan Maen werewolf, Bohm, he’d made an offhand remark. Something about how all some of the alpha’s had houses up in the Hampton’s and how he wished he had their pay grade in his pay check. I had looked Hampton’s phone book online for a Gabrielle Colton. I couldn’t believe my luck when I found out she was actually listed. It was too fucking easy to ignore.
“Well, fuck off.” She replies moving to close the door on me. She is stopped by an arm that suddenly appears over my shoulder and lands palm flat on the door, holding it open. Conall comes into view behind me.
Very close behind me. I’ll have to have a word to him about that later. Not only am I operating on no sleep, little food and a highly emotional state mixed with the ongoing pain from the initial ambush, three nights ago. Because it was lunar week, I am also frustratingly horny. Which mixed with my other ailment’s is just a bad combination to have. Especially around Conall. Being near any male werewolf at this point in time, is maddening to me. Having my ex boyfriend so close to me and by my side twenty four seven, is not lessening the madness my hormones are driving into me.
Gabby’s face briefly gives away that she recognizes who Conall is. He is my partner in crime. He’d helped me get my revenge on Gabby Colton. But Gabby’s cool demeanor kicks back in and she masks her facial expression quickly, opening the door wider. But I can’t help but wonder if she see’s something in Conall that is a bigger threat than she is prepared to deal with. Because she gives in.
“Make yourselves at home. Me casa you casa.” She drips with disdain before actually turning her back on us and leading the way into her house, with her door open for us to push past. That is more like the alpha way I am used to. When challenged, challenge back. Don’t back down. That is the Gabby Colton I know. Mega bitch with nothing but contempt for me.
“Merci.” I mutter dryly walking in after her as she sways her hips and walks in ballet flats into her living room with Conall following suit. Gabby flicks her blonde hair over her shoulder and turns around to face the two of us. Crossing her arms over her ample chest.
“What’s with the goon squad?” She asks lifting her chin at Conall, but looking at me.
“You hear that Conall, I think she just attempted to insult you.”
“That’s alright, I can be a big man.” Conall replies standing beside me as we stand a good distance apart from Gabby. “Because I don’t have a fat ass like her.”
“I do not have a fat ass.” Gabby replies to the bait instantly.
“It’s a little plump. You stop using the Stairmaster?” Conall fires right back at her as I mentally tell myself not to laugh out loud at Conall’s taunts. “Rehab made you soft or something?” What makes the taunting so funny is that Gabby clearly works on being perfect. She aims for perfection. She wears designer clothes, has perfectly styled hair and a full face of make up. Which indicates to everyone but Gabby, what her flaw is. She wears her vanity on the outside, for all to attack. Gabby unfurls her arms, dropping them by her sides, one hand automatically, unconsciously patting the side of her ass.
“Fuck you.” She spits at Conall.
“You want to get down and dirty here on your nice polished floorboards or you to pretty for that?” Conall fires off effortlessly. Meanwhile I am going from wanting to laugh, to wanting to bite my lip and squeeze my thighs together tightly. Lunar week abstinence is not agreeing with either of us Breukelen werewolves.
“Okay, just stop the virtual fuck-a-thon.” I say half turning to Conall. “We need to talk to you.”
“Really? Do you Brooklyn pups know other actual words other than fuck?” Gabby aims at us.
“It’s about Paris.” I reply ignoring her taunt completely.
“Seriously, you have to stop your obsession with me. I have not been hanging around you’re precious Paris D’arenberg. So we’re done here. Go find some other werewolf to pick a god damn war with.” I arch an eyebrow at her comment.
“My precious Paris D’arenberg. Don’t you mean, you’re pack leader.”
Gabby shrugs her shoulders. “What about Paris now that you’d like to pin on me, probably literally.” My anger starts to rise. It is a dig about what has gone down between us. Does she honestly think what had happened between us is my fault or Paris’s? Does she even accept any responsibility for her actions? I shake my head. There is the matter at hand to focus on.
“So you haven’t heard?” Conall breaks in, saying what I am thinking.
“Heard what?” Conall and I exchange a look of whether we should follow through and actually tell her or not. I break away and look back at the picture perfect Gabby Colton.
“Gabby, Paris is missing. He’s been kidnapped.” Her reaction is not nearly as stoic as she’d have liked it to have been. Which makes me think there is a human side to her after all. Damn it.
“What the hell do you mean kidnapped? What have you done to him since being with him but been his downfall?” Gabby fires off rapidly. “This is your fault, somehow this is your fault. Our pack was fine before you came along, our pack was great. Now our pack is talked about because of you and everything you do with him. You bring us down. And now you tell me my pack leader is missing?”
“Oh so now he’s you’re pack leader?” I ask her. “So how come this is the first you’ve heard about this Gabby? I mean, where were you three nights ago? Sure you don’t harbor any anger towards Paris for being with me, for siding with me over you?”
“Oh do not try and put this shit on me. Va te faire metre salope.” Gabby’s face reddens as she breaks into frustrated French insults at me. I know exactly what she is saying to me. I know the swear words. Going out with an alpha who’s pack’s original language is French has caused me to study up a bit, even though they speak English as their first language.
I sigh heavily. Clearly Gabby knows nothing of Paris’s disappearance. Or is willing to be of any help to us. Either way I am tired and don’t want to hang around her any longer than necessary. Why the fuck be around a werewolf who puts bad into our nature with ease. There is more to this life than being Gabby Colton’s perception of a bitch. As she’d so eloquently called me in French.
I have a mission to complete. Save Paris. Restore my love to my life, a leader to the Manhattan Maen pack. And for fucksakes, get rid of the god awful three daylong migraine that has been beating me down all lunar week.
“Why would you kidnap a pack leader?” I ask Gabby directly. She lunges for me and Conall flies between us so Gabby is pressed up against him as I stumble back a few steps. Clearly not reacting as fast as I should have.
“Wanna try me on for size?” He husks at her angrily. Gabby steps back and takes a deep breath.
“I meant, hypothetically Gabby, if you, an alpha werewolf were going to kidnap an werewolf pack leader, what would drive you to do it? I’m just trying to exhaust all thoughts in my headset right now.”
Gabby eyes me angrily and she stares back at Conall. “Well it wouldn’t be a leadership challenge, I’d have to have the guts to face him and an audience to do that, unless I knew I couldn’t win, but I had some sort of information I could extort over him to concede leadership to me.”
I think it over. I don’t remember Paris telling me about anyone who’s been tap dancing around the issue of his leadership. “What else can you think of?”
She sighs annoyed with me. “I don’t know. I’m not a pack leader am I? So I don’t know all the ins and outs of what’s involved in what he does. You’re around him, around that scene more than I am, you would see more of it than me. You should have a fucking clue about this. Not me.”
16
Conall and I are all set to leave when the thought hits me and keeps going, giving me everything I’d been looking for, in the wrong places. Our pack was fine before you came along. Because we are pack. Our pack was great. Now we’re talked about because of you. We’re talked about. Because of you. You’re around that scene. You would see more of it than me. I’m not a pack leader am I?
“Oh my god.” The three words slip out of my mouth before I’m aware I’ve even said them out loud. They’re barely a whisper. And I look at the others wildly. “We have to stop searching for Paris. We have to get hold of Wiatt and Addison.”
Gabby Colton frowns at me. “I never picked you for disloyal to Paris, but I’m forming a new opinion of you. “ She states angrily. “He may not be you’re pack, but he is mine.”
“Don’t you see it?” I’m standing now as my light bulb moment runs through my werewolf addled head. Making it’s connections. Maybe it’s the sleep deprivation talking, and the pain, god the pain hasn’t gone away with the lack of shape shifting after three lunar days and nights. But I see everything clearly now. My mind is lucid.
“See what?” Conall asks me.
“It’s a set up. The whole god damn thing, it’s been one elaborate set up. A long con to get into our world.”
“What are you babbling about?” Gabby Colton asks me unimpressed. “Our world is right here.” She says making my words sound like I’m a conspiracy nut. I glower at her. “You look unwell. And have you heard about this thing called a hairbrush?” She throws back at me.
“I don’t mean world as in place. I mean Pack. Werewolf pack.” I throw back at her. “Paris has been targeted, this whole time, because for some reason, they know who he is. They figured that much out.”
“What do you mean, whole time? Who’s they?”
“I need to speak to Wiatt and Addison, we need to stop Vaughn from getting anything into place and anywhere near here.” I say turning to Conall.
“Vaughn’s in charge of the slaughter house right?” Conall says back at me.
“Yeah. He needs to be told to stand down. I don’t have my phone, we need to speak to Wiatt or Addison. Gabby I need your phone.” Of course I stick out my hand for it. It’s a demand, not a request, not an ask.
Gabby looks at me sceptically. “When you can explain to me coherently what you are on about, I’ll give you my phone. But I am not putting you through to those guys without real reason, they have enough to deal with trying to sort out this Paris situation, without you going off the rails in their face.”
I muster up an insincere smile for her and turn to Conall. Conall nods his head at me producing his cell phone. “I’m on it. Wiatt gave me his number in case anything further happened to you.” He says dialling Wiatt D’arenberg.
Gabby sighs heavily. “In case no one has actually pointed this out to you, let me be the first. You’re. Not. Making. Sense.” She says loudly.
“I got Wiatt.” Conall calls out to me. I wave my hand at him for the cell phone, which he hands over.
“Wiatt it’s Bg, I know what’s going on. You have to stop Vaughn from rounding up the slaughterhouse and bringing them here. I can explain but it’s going to take time. Please, trust me, there’s nothing to loose if you put Vaughn in a holding pattern till you hear what I have to say. Um, we’re at Gabby’s now. No, in South Hampton. Yes Conall’s with me. We caught the train, that’s really not relevant, can you just…just hear me out. Uh, no, I have no idea where that is. Okay, Conall and I will meet you at your place and get Addison too. He needs to hear this, you both do. Because I know what we have to do to get Paris back. And neither of you is going to like it.”
Gabby Colton is standing with her arms crossed. “I care about Paris too. I’m coming with you, where are you meeting Wiatt?” Hesitation holds me back. I honestly don’t know if I can trust Gabby. We’ve never had a good relationship, from the get go. And now, I’m trying to hold onto that thought that feels so damn right in my head. But I’m tired, really tired and sore and not feeling my best and wondering if my judgement on people, on all of this is really working.
