Pack, page 8
What if she’s in on the plan? What if she’s against the Maen Pack? Her own pack. Would she do that? Would she be that bitter? The only thing I have to say she might be, and that’s rather vague at best, is that she has a hostile relationship with me and possibly a crush on her pack leader, my pack mate. And that she claims to have not heard a thing about Paris’s kidnapping until we turned up on her doorstep.
My instinct is hard to figure out. Because it’s clouded by my emotions and my body’s out of whack. I’ve never gone three days in a lunar week without shape shifting. As the week drags on the urges to shift as the moon moves through its phases, grow stronger and make me want to shape shift. So I do. But now, these past three days I haven’t been able to and even being around a Breukelen wolf, which I think was part of why Conall was assigned to me, hasn’t lessened whatever lock up is going on in my ability to do this. It’s kind of making me sick, actually.
There is a theory, that being around another werewolf you are familiar with, that your werewolf is familiar with, eases the shape shift. It’s kind of like a sense of security and trust. Conall may be my ex boyfriend, but we were together for a long time before I met Paris. My werewolf knows his and recognises his werewolf.
And even though we barely see each other now, on any social level, we are connected and that just won’t change. I have my moments where I hate Conall. But in the end scheme of things, I can trust him. It’s just a pity I couldn’t trust him when we were involved together. He sucks at relationships but he is a loyal and good werewolf to have around in unplanned situations, when pack work is required.
“No. You’re not coming with us. Conall let’s go.” I head back out to the front door.
“Just who the hell do you think you are to tell me that I can’t,”
“Gabby,” Conall says laying on the charm and cutting her off. “You heard Bg, you’re not welcome. Don’t try and follow us. We Breukelen wolves, we’re a bit unpredictable when pushed under pressure. And we’ve been known to carry weapons to a claw fight too.”
I hear the door close behind me and Conall walks up beside me. “Well she took being bossed around by two Breukelen beta wolves pretty well. So we have a plan?” He asks me as we start walking down the street.
“Yeah, I told you I know what we have to do to get Paris back.”
“No I mean, when the Maen go against you, do we have a plan for that yet?” His words make me stop on the spot and I realise again, how exhausted my body feels and how light headed I am. And how I know in all of this, without doubt, Conall has got my back.
“What do you mean when they go against me? I’m on their side, helping them get their pack leader back.”
“Babe, you pissed on an alpha female who probably has more influence in this pack than you as an outsider do. You said Wiatt and Addison aren’t going to like what it is you have to do to get Paris back. So what makes you think they’ll listen to you. Or help you, now that he’s not here?”
Conall being the devil’s advocate or just his usual aggravating self? We start walking again in silence. “They have to. It’s the only way they’ll get him back.”
“Are you so sure?” Conall asks me. “You’re existing on fumes here. Are you so sure this will work that it will bring Paris back?”
“It has to.” I say tiredly. What I don’t say is because I refuse to believe he’s gone for good. Just like that. That would be too cruel.
“Just because you want it to. Doesn’t mean it will. Don’t get dumb on me now because love is guiding you.” Conall says signalling a taxi cab for us.
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” I tell him as the cab pulls up alongside the curb and Conall opens the door for me. I slide into the back seat giving the driver Wiatt’s address before passing out on Conall’s shoulder.
17
His mouth works it’s way around my neck, kissing me, eagerly, desperately, fingers rub the wet material of my knickers. I sigh from the sensation of touch again. My body is on fire. My temperature burning up from the touches of another werewolf against my skin.
I groan in frustration and need. His mouth never leaves me as his fingers slip under the material and two fingers slid inside me, easily. The feeling of them inside me, takes me on a familiar tightening as his touch rubs me, rushes me to what we both want, my release in his hands.
I gasp and my eyes widen as from behind his fingers fuck me excessively fast.
My orgasm is powerful and shocks my body and my eyes awaken as I gasp at it crying out with joy. There is a distinctly warm and male body behind me, an arm draped across my waist. I smile and stir against the hard-on I can feel against my bottom. Paris.
But just as I think of Paris, my nose twitches and I realise the scent and the feel of the body behind me is all wrong. I jerk away and the arm shoots out and pulls me back into the body behind me.
“Oh god.” Conall groans dropping his head into my shoulder as he quickly undoes his jeans with one hand and starts masturbating himself against me. “Don’t, please.” My ex boyfriend, Conall says from behind me. “That was so perfect, felt so good.” My eyes roam around me. I have no idea where we were. Other than on a bed. I glance down my body, grateful that I am fully clothed.
“Conall I can’t.” I manage to put the words together as my brain briefly let me focus on the situation I am in. He groans again and he pulls his fingers out of me. I feel movement behind me as he quickly does something, I start to turn around. “Please, just stay there. As you are.”
My hand goes to the wet patch in my underwear. Oh god. I came. I had an orgasm with Conall. Because of Conall. Oh god, oh god, oh god.
“Conall,” I growl at him as I hear the sound of a condom being placed on him. “Just let me finish.” He pleads continuing to masturbate against me. “Like this.” He pants. “Please let me come, B.” He mutters lost in his own pleasure.
“What the fuck Conall?” I say slapping at his arm with my hand. “Where the hell am I am, what the fuck is going on. Last thing I remember was leaving Gabby’s.”
Conall keeps his arm tight around my waist and I struggle against it. “You passed out in the cab, probably from pure exhaustion. When was the last time you got any sleep Babe?” He’s hand is still moving.
I stay silent, I’m loosing track of time. It is either night three or four of lunar week. I don’t really care, I am so mortified at myself for orgasming in Conall’s hands. Even if I was asleep. My body has a mind of it’s own on lunar week senses and trauma. He groans deeply and I try to shush him.
His hips jerk and he climaxes into the condom. Breathing heavily he says “We’re at Wiatt’s place. I brought you in here and we both decided you needed the rest. I was just going to sit and watch you, make sure you were alright. But I guess I fell asleep too.”
“You think.” I mutter sarcastically breaking free of him and pushing off the bed. “Did you tell Wiatt I need to talk to him?” I ask brushing my clothes down quickly.
“Yeah and he said when you woke up he’d hear you out.” Conall said yawning. I turn around quickly to look at him. Relieved he too is fully clothed. But I feel the wetness between my thighs.
“Oh.” I say widening my eyes and putting a hand to my head. The world still wants to move with me.
“Head rush?”
“Yeah.” Conall gets off the bed, and walks over to me. “Just stop okay?” I say putting a hand up.
“Hey it’s my job to make sure you’re okay in all this mess. Ask Addison and Bodil. They agreed to it.” He says.
“I’m a little messed up but fine, thank you. No need to shadow me in here.” I pull out my packet of pain killer tablets that has flattened in my shirt pocket.
“Maybe you should try and shape shift first, get rid of all that pain before you go on. Now that you’ve had a bit of sleep, maybe you can.” I pop two pills out of the little plastic packet they were encased in.
Conall has a point. But shape shifting would further delay me speaking to Wiatt and that meant there was a delay in getting Paris back.
“I can’t shape shift.” I state simply. Even without trying, I knew my body well enough now to know that I am still locked and unable to do something I’d been doing ever since I was a teen, with ease. “I’ll loose time, we both know that.”
“We’re not running to deadline here B. And you know,” Conall says walking over to me, behind me. I stiffen up. I can’t believe my body responded to him. “That you’ll be better for it. You’ll be able to do more if you’re in full form.” He is close again, too close. I just don’t need Conall hitting on me on top of everything else. “Maybe now you’ve come, you’ll be able to.”
I am at maximum capacity for handling shit right now. I step away from him and turn around to face him.
“I can help you, you know I can.” He says his eyes scanning over me. Me and my werewolf are not used to going long periods without sexual pleasure. Which is probably a bit of what has been complicating everything else my body is going through in this lunar week.
“Let me help.” Conall says softly.
18
I clean up in the bathroom before I walk out to see Wiatt alone. I find him in the kitchen making himself a coffee.
“Do you want one?” He asks me as I walk in. I shake my head that I do not.
“Already got enough issues with lunar week playing havoc with me, coffee would just make it worse, I think.” My own words sound lame to even me. I wonder if he heard me come in the bedroom with Conall. Oh god I hope not.
“Is that what’s happening with you?” He asks turning around to face me fully. Oh so he’s going to confront me on it? Shit. “Things playing havoc with you?”
“Playing, definitely playing.” I mutter in a low voice. Holding his gaze. I am ready to have it out. If I had to. After all, it’s not like I knew what was going on, I was asleep when Conall took advantage of my body.
“I understand you’re under duress given everything that’s happened.” Wiatt starts as I tilt my head, watching him closely. “But Conall said you thought you’d figured something out that might help us, get my brother, you’re pack mate, back.” He said emphasising the pack mate at me.
“You’re not going to like it.” I start with. Probably not the best opening line to an argument ever.
“I already don’t.” He fires back at me. Part of me wants to ask him if it’s because Conall finger fucked me and not him. But I restrain. I need to make a point here. I need Wiatt to believe what I did, about Paris.
“Touché.” I wait for more from him. But Wiatt is done. “I think Paris was deliberately targeted because whoever took him, knew who he was. That he is the Manhattan Maen pack leader. A few nights before he was taken, odd things kept happening to him. Out of the ordinary things for Paris. He was getting into fights with these other werewolves. I mean, at least, I thought at the time he was getting into fights. But what if he wasn’t. I mean, he didn’t start these fights, these other werewolves did. I saw them.”
“Why didn’t you say something earlier?” Wiatt’s voice raises at me.
“I did. I talked to Addison, asked him what he thought of it. But he just thought it was you know, related to the weirdness of lunar week affects. But the more I think about it, the more I think they were setting him up. Almost like they were testing him, seeing how he’d react to each fight.”
“Gauging a response.” Wiatt utters softly, his eyes dropping down. I nod my head at him. I can see his mind is working overtime in making some distant connection come together. He is putting it together too.
“Yeah, like they were testing Paris for not only his abilities, but his smarts, how he would respond, what he would do. Would he handle the situation by himself, or did he call in his lieutenants. They locked him in a jail and they didn’t take Addison even though he was also involved in the punch up. Paris did his time, he sat it out. That tells them he has patience and is not easily broken or in need of the extra help.”
“Oh god.” Wiatt says looking back up at me.
“And I think, the kidnapping was brazenly planned to be so obvious because,”
“They want to see how we, his pack will respond in trying to find him.” Wiatt finishes for me.
“Yeah. Someone is trying to monitor the Manhattan Maen. They’re trying to find out information about the werewolves here and every time we do something, to find Paris, we give them more insight into our world.”
“Jesus.” Wiatt mutters softly rubbing a hand over his mouth.
“You organised a slaughterhouse, and you called in another pack for assistance. You set out your lieutenant to do their jobs. We practically showed them the hierarchy and safety plan for how we think and act.”
“No.” the word is barely a whisper on his lips it is so painful to hear.
“So in order to protect the pack, we have to stop searching for Paris. We have to call off the slaughter house, and make everyone involved in this rescue effort, stand down and go back to life as normal, during lunar week.” I finished as Wiatt sunk back against the counter top, staring at me.
“You can’t be serious Bg.” His voice pleads with me.
My chest tightens and the tears well in my eyes. Threatening to break. I refuse to break. If I start crying now, I won’t stop. I’ll dissolve, fall apart completely and I just couldn’t let that happen. Paris is counting on me and I am counting on me to push this plan into action. Making a bunch of alpha werewolves, pay attention to it, and take action with it.
“I don’t want to. But it makes sense doesn’t it? You felt it was true the moment I started telling you. After all the crazy theories and scenarios people have been throwing around here for the past three and half days, this Wiatt, this is the one you whole heartedly reacted to. Because you know I’m right and it’s true.” I say unhappily. “That’s why there’s been no ransom demand for him, no contact. They’re watching us, seeing how long and what we’ll do to get him back.”
“Who are they?”
I shrug my shoulders. “No idea.” Wiatt holds my gaze; I can see him thinking things through.
“How do we know we’re being watched?” Wiatt asks me.
A good question. I have no proof. No real idea other than something that is certain in me, telling me we were being monitored. Maybe it’s my wolf, trying to give me the heads up with her instinct. I shrug my shoulders.
“I don’t know. But why would you kidnap a random stranger if they didn’t have some value to you?”
“Do you think it’s someone in the pack, working with us, feeding out information?” His question caught me by surprise. I hadn’t thought of it. Probably because I didn’t want to think that someone I knew would want to betray their own kind that way.
My eyes lock on to Wiatt’s and I bit my lip.
“I have to call my parents and Addison.” He says suddenly and walks out of the kitchen. I sigh and feel myself start to collapse. I grab a kitchen chair and sit down quickly.
I want to cry and I want to scream. But I knew, deep down in me, that my words are true, I have figured out what is going on and why. My heart feels heavy and my body feels like it is running a fever. I silently pray I’m not delirious with this thought process. I hope I haven’t read the situation wrong. But if I have, surely Wiatt would’ve called me on it. Told me flat out no. Maybe Addison would. Undoubtedly Marion D’arenberg would. She’ll likely march over here and slap me in the face for suggesting we give up on her son.
The problem was this is theory of mine is it doesn’t get me any closer to actually being with Paris again. It doesn’t bring him back to us. It just means we knew what is going on. So we were still no better off than we had been three and half days ago.
The Manhattan Maen are still without their pack leader. Wiatt without his brother. The D’arenbergs are still without their eldest son. I am still without my pack mate.
I put my arms on the kitchen table and rest my head on them. Wanting to fall asleep and hoping like hell that everything I am going through is just a nightmare, not my world.
Not my world without Paris.
19
Finding an answer to a problem is supposed to be a good when you then know you can solve it.
But finding an Alpha werewolf in a city as big as New York, in a country as large as the United States of America was like the proverbial needle and haystack scenario.
Besides, I’ve only managed to come up with half an answer really. I’ve figured out the why part of what had happened three days ago to the Manhattan Maen pack leader Paris D’arenberg. I haven’t figured the who, as in who has done it, or the how, as in how to get him back.
So really, have I contributed that much to solving the kidnapping of Paris?
I was banking on The Manhattan Maen Alpha’s, Addison, Jules and Wiatt to come up with the rest of the answer between them. Part of being an Alpha werewolf, isn’t just the inherited physical abilities your bloodline gives you. It generally comes with smart genetics too. Alpha’s are known for their strategic thinking, especially in warfare.
Conall Wakely and I were with Wiatt D’arenberg, ready to convince Addison, the second in command of the Manhattan Maen pack, of what had to be done, for the greater good of the pack. Even though I am about ready to toss Conall the hell back to Brooklyn again.
We have to sacrifice Paris, by stopping searching for him. It is ugly and it is the answer that shockingly makes the most sense to us. But it is not an easy one to follow through on.
Especially for me, since I am the one leading the charge to abandon my lover, in god knows where and for how long.
