Bonded to the Pack (Born to be Were) (27 page)

Alaric
smiled down upon him proudly and nodded, looking to the others.

Ranak
stood holding the book of werewolf law in his hands and addressed the crowd. “I
too believe this law to be archaic and unjust.”

“I
am in agreement,” Olis said rising to his feet.

Gabriel
stood too, looking pleased. “I agree too, but you must understand that the laws
of our race are not ours to vote upon. It will now be up to the pack Alphas to
vote and decide the fate of this law, which will determine the fate of the Born
Were and whom she will take to mate.”

“I
understand and will abide by their vote, but the fate of the Born Were will
remain the same no matter what their decision. Mercy is mine, fate made her for
me, and I will not lose her to anyone, even if I have to fight every male
here.”

“Your
words are strong, let us hope your endeavors to sway the Alphas to support your
cause has the same strength. We will let you know the outcome as soon as
possible.”

Alec
stood still and Gabriel raised his eyebrow. “I too now have a vote since I am
now Alpha, so I will cast my vote and leave you to it.” The crowd behind him
cheered and he took the offered paper from the Elders’ cleric, cast his vote
and signed it, his first deed as the Alpha of his pack. Once done, he handed
the paper to the cleric and walked out of the clearing to the applause of many
Alphas in the crowd.

Once
inside the house he turned to his father. “How do you think it will go?”

“I
honestly don’t know, but I am so proud of you.” He reached out and hugged him
close. “You will be a great Alpha.”

The
sound of clapping sounded behind them and they both turned surprised to see Marlo
standing in the hallway.

“My
love what brings you here?” Gregory said walking to her side and placing a soft
kiss upon her lips.

“I
wanted to be here for the decision and to offer my support, albeit silently, to
Alec and Mercy.”

Alec
smiled and hugged her. “Thank you, Marlo, I know it must be uncomfortable for
you to be around so many werewolves.”

Marlo
chuckled and looked at Gregory. “I am not afraid of the big bad wolf.”

Gregory
pulled her from his son’s arms into his own. “You had better be,” he growled
before kissing her soundly.

They
looked so happy and were perfect for each other despite their differences and
Alec was truly happy they had found each other, but to seeing them playing kissy-face
was uncomfortable. “On that note, I am going upstairs to check on Mercy.” He
turned and walked out of the kitchen and up the stairs to Mercy’s bedroom where
her brothers and their mates kept watch over her.

*****

The
sun was setting by the time Mercy woke. She immediately searched for Alec and
found him sound asleep in the chair beside her. He snored softly and she
realized he had to have been exhausted. Carefully she rose and grabbed a throw
from the end of her bed to cover him. She placed the blanket over him and
placed a kiss to his forehead before climbing back into bed content to just
stare at him.  The door opened a crack and Lucan peeked in, smiling when he saw
she was awake. She placed her finger to her lips and he crept inside, sitting
on the bed beside her and taking her hand in his own.

“He
was so tired after sitting with you all night and day. I’m glad he finally fell
asleep,” he whispered.

“What
happened to Micah?” she asked.

“He
and his little helper Ryan will never trouble anyone again,” he said simply.
There was no need to go into details and he knew she understood what he was
telling her.

Mercy
nodded. “Dean and Juliet?”

“They
are here. Dean has decided to go back to his pack and allow the rank fights to
start so he can become Alpha and hopefully end the nightmare his father
started. Juliet is going home with him to offer her support, but I have the
feeling we will be seeing her again as soon as Mason admits she is his Bond
Mate.”

Mercy
was shocked. She had never anticipated such an outcome and knew poor Mason be
dumbfounded. “Are you kidding?”

“He
is so confused he doesn’t know whether he is coming or going, but I have the
feeling once she leaves he will understand and go and fetch her back.”

“Her
father was so horrible to her. He used her for her talents as a witch, but
never did he truly love her from what Dean told me. She deserves someone like
Mason.  He is strong and will protect her from others who would do the same.”

“Micah
was definitely crazy, that’s for sure,” he said.

“Ugh,
you don’t know the half of it,” she told him. “When he took me he told Dean he
wanted us to bond and create an army of pure werewolves for him to build an
army. If that isn’t sick I don’t know what is.”  She shivered and he gripped
her hand tighter. “I am so glad it is over and once we speak to the Elders and
get this stupid law straightened out, hopefully we can move on.” Her brother
looked away and she knew there was something he hadn’t told her. “What is it?”

“Alec
already spoke to the Elders.  They told him they can’t abolish the law, that it
must be done by a vote from all of the packs’ Alphas.”

Mercy
sighed. “So we have to wait until they call them all back together?”

“Actually
they are outside now, no one would leave until they heard your condition, but
we haven’t heard anything about the vote yet.”

“Is
that good or bad?” she asked.

“I
don’t know, but I have hope, and you should too.” He squeezed her hand and
stood. “Get some rest.” He brushed his lips across her cheek and left closing
the door behind him. 

Mercy
sat back against the headboard and bit her lip wondering what could be taking
them so long. There were so many reasons the law was no longer a valid one, but
Weres could be sticklers for tradition and they might find abolishing one of
the old laws went against the grain. Not that it mattered in the least. She
believed Alec would fight for her and win, but she worried what could happen to
him in the process.

“It’s
going to be fine,” Alec said shoving the blanket off his lap and moving to sit
beside her.

“How
long have you been awake?” she asked.

“Long
enough to know you’re worried about everyone, but yourself, as always,” he said
pulling her into his arms. “Never again ask me to remain in the background when
your life is in danger,” he growled against her ear. “I can’t bear to see you
hurt. It near killed me to back away and leave you with that monster.”

“I
hope I never again have to ask such a thing from you,” she murmured, savoring
the feel of being in his arms again. Her fingers latched onto the strip of
leather around his neck and she smiled. “You found it,” she said softly.

Alec
looked down on the small Angel in her fingers and smiled. “I love the gift, and
will always cherish it, but I love my real life Angel so much more.”

“As
I love you,” she whispered just before he kissed her.

*****

Hours
later, as Mercy’s brothers and Gregory sat around her room trading stories
about their parts in the day’s events a soft knock came on Mercy’s door and
Alec rose to answer it, unsurprised to find his grandfather there.

“They
have come to a final decision and wish your presence outside,” he said.

“We’ll
leave you two alone,” Gregory said.  

“Yeah,
uh, we’ll be downstairs if you need anything,” Lucan added.

Cade
kissed Mercy’s head and joined the others at the door, pulling it closed to
give them privacy.

Mercy
tried to move from the bed, but Alec was by her side instantly, refusing to
allow her to go with him. “You need rest, I can handle this alone.”

“Alec,
this is my life too and I need to be there. Do not ask me to stay here. I am
not a child who needs to be protected by you and my brothers any longer. I have
to stand on my own two feet and do what I was born to do.”

“You
don’t ask a lot, do you?” he said tiredly.

“I
ask that you allow me the opportunity to do what I was born for, and help me
when I cannot do so alone.” 

Alec
couldn’t deny her. She was right, and he loved her too much to suppress her
growth so he took her hand and helped her from the bed.

“I
need to get dressed,” Mercy said looking down on her flannel shorts and T-shirt
with dismay.

Alec
nodded, but looked worried. “I will wait outside, but if you need me, call for
help.”

“I’m
sure my brother would not appreciate my asking you to help me dress,” she said
rising to her tiptoes to place a kiss on his lips. “I’ll be just a few minutes.”

“I’ll
be waiting,” he murmured going to the door and leaving her alone to get ready.

Mercy
smiled to herself as she gathered a clean pair of jeans and a shirt before walking
to the bathroom to shower quickly and change. It wasn’t until she was at the
mirror, clean and ready to apply her makeup that she saw the six-inch-long line
that ran across her throat. She placed her finger to slightly puckered line and
frowned. The mark didn’t bother her, it would soon fade away, it was the idea
that one person could be evil enough to want power so badly they would kill to
get it. She had listened to Alec so many times telling his father that the
packs had to work together, that their combined efforts were the only thing
that could truly stop the rogues. She hadn’t really thought about it one way or
the other in her own mind, but with everything that happened she now realized he
had been right all along. Micah had not been stopped because of Alec, or her.
He had been stopped because of the combined efforts of many werewolves from
many packs working together. It was the key to the future success of all of the
packs and she now knew that was why her being the Born Were so important. She
was a symbol they could all rally around, the product of two ancient bloodlines
that had survived since the beginning of their creation and the hope that those
bloodlines would continue on for many thousands of more years.

“Are
you all right?” Alec called out from her bedroom.

Mercy
smiled and opened the bathroom door the love she had for him shining in her
eyes. “I’m good,” she said taking his hand, finally ready to embrace the future
she had not so long ago believed would be the worst thing that could have
happened to her and now was the only thing she wanted.

“Everyone
is waiting,” he said as he escorted down the stairs, through the kitchen and
out of the back door to the porch where they could see the clearing and
everyone assembled there. “No matter what, you and me forever,” he said, taking
her hand in his own.

“Forever,”
she repeated, allowing him to lead her towards their fate.

                                           Chapter
Sixteen    

The
sun was setting on a hot summer day when the soft sounds of a flute began to
play as Mercy started her walk down the long bower covered aisle that the
females of their pack had created for their Alpha and his future mate’s
wedding. Lucan held her arm firmly, his face pinched as he escorted her up the
aisle towards Alec, who waited dressed in a tux despite the hot arid air that
had plagued them for most of the day. To his left stood her brother Cade, his
best friend Rich, and then Mason, who looked uncomfortable in his monkey suit
as he referred to it. All of them were gorgeous, all of them smiling as they
watched her coming towards them.

“It’s
not too late to back out and wait a little longer for this,” Lucan whispered,

 Mercy
sighed and rolled her eyes. She had thought they were past that particular
conversation.

“Just
kidding,” he said with a good-natured chuckle.

“Luc,
before we get there I have something I really need to tell you,” she whispered.

“Anything,”
he said tilting his head closer to her own.

“I
love you and I can never repay you for everything you have done for me, but I
know how much you sacrificed and I will never forget it. You are my father and
always be.” Tears pricked her eyes and her oversized bouquet of flowers shook
in her hands as he looked down on her with fatherly love radiating from him.

“Nothing
I did was a sacrifice. You are my daughter and no one, blood or not, can take
that away.”

He
looked to the row of chairs where Mather sat and she followed his gaze to the
man she now knew was her birth Father. They had confronted her after the vote
and introduced a stunned Mercy to him because Alec wanted no more secrets
between them when they bonded. Although it had come as a shock, she realized it
made very little difference. Mather and she barely knew each other and she
wasn’t sure how their relationship would proceed, but he was not her father.
Lucan was the man who raised her, who held her hand and hugged her close when
she needed comfort, who taught her how to ride her first bike, and rocked her
to sleep every night the first year she had come to live her brothers. He was
her father and he would always be. “I love you, Luc,” she said, squeezing his
hand.