Hidden Destiny (Redwood Pack) (13 page)

The sound of people running toward them reached her ears, but Lexi didn’t face them. She could scent the Jamenson men coming for them, but she had to focus on keeping Marissa pinned.

They didn’t need the men fighting for them, considering the three of them had kicked ass all on their own.

“Melanie.”

“We’re fine, Kade.” Melanie pulled Colleen by the hair so she lay between Marissa and Sandra. “The three of you have shamed the name Redwood.” Her power flared again, and Lexi lowered her eyes.

Jesus, the woman was strong.

“I’d kick you out of the Pack right now, but unlike you, I’m not an ignorant bitch. I’m calling a circle.”

Shit. Calling a circle would force the women to be put in the center of the entire Pack and shown their punishment handed out by the Alpha.

Some of the Pack already hated her, and Lexi didn’t want others to be hurt because of it. “Melanie…”

“Not now, Lex.”

Lexi closed her mouth.

She felt a hand on her hip and risked a glance over her shoulder. North stood behind her, the heat radiating off him mixing with the metallic taste of his anger. She knew the darkness he feared was close to the surface, but he was holding on.

For her.

She leaned back, letting herself need him as much as he needed her.

She heard the three women on the ground gasp at the movement, jealousy all by pouring off them.

Whatever.

With North’s touch and her movement, they were claiming each other in front of the Pack with more than words and the scent she’d carried from their lovemaking before.

They were making a statement, and she’d be damned if she’d let the others ruin it for her.

“The Alpha will decide your punishment; I’m too angry deal with you,” Melanie ordered.

Kade came up from behind her and put his hand on her hip as well. He didn’t speak. He didn’t need to. The women had this down.

Lexi could tell the others around them—Adam, Maddox, and Logan—were holding themselves back so they wouldn’t make the women look weak.

There was no way anyone would mistake them for that now.

No way.

North’s other arm came around her, and she let out a breath.

This was her new family, and they’d stood up for her.

She just had to get used to that.

“It’s just dinner, Lex.” North smiled as she paced around her bedroom in her fifth outfit for the night. He loved it when she was all jittery because that meant he got to soothe her.

He’d been needing to soothe her more and more over the past few days. Lexi had been on edge ever since the attack where Mel, Hannah, and Lexi had not only kicked ass but also shown they were stronger than others thought.

He knew she didn’t feel comfortable being the center of attention, and with the Pack circle coming up after the full-moon hunt, there was no hiding behind others. While North understood Lexi’s reluctance to be part of the Pack circle to see the women’s punishment, he had no such qualms. He wanted to see what his father would do to the wolves who would not only attack those they thought weaker, but attack family.

It was past time to show that the Jamensons ruled for a reason.

“It’s not just dinner, North,” Lexi answered, bringing him out of his thoughts. She wiggled out of her sweater dress, leaving her in thigh-highs, heels, her bra, and panties.

Unable to help himself, he walked up to her, pulled her flush against his body so her ass was against his crotch, and slid his hands up her sides.

“North, we don’t have time for this,” she said breathlessly, but tilted her head to the side anyway.

Good girl
.

He inhaled her scent and rocked against her. “You smell so fucking good, my Lexi. I want to bend you over the bed, tuck your panties out of the way, and fuck you hard while you wear these high heels.”

She shuddered in his hold but didn’t move away. His hand slid up her stomach and chest so he could collar her neck. She sucked in a breath, her body going lax against him.

He kissed her temple then moved away, annoyed they didn’t have enough time.

“When we get back from dinner, I’m going to taste every inch of you.”

Lexi blinked at him, her gaze glassy. “Now I really don’t know how I’m going to do this dinner. I used to be nervous, but now I’m nervous
and
horny as hell.”

North barked a laugh and shook his head. He moved to her closet, pulled out another sweater dress he knew looked good on her, and handed it over. “Put this on. It makes your ass look amazing.”

She raised a brow. “I’m not sure if an amazing-ass look is what I’m going for tonight.”

North shrugged then moved to the bed so he could stretch out and watch her dress. He cupped his hands behind his head and grinned. “The dress covers you so you’ll look as demure as you’d like, but I’ll know what you’re wearing underneath. Plus with your ass looking fuckable, it’ll give us something to look forward to.”

She snorted as she pulled the dress over her head, careful not to mess up her hair. “You’re not fucking my ass tonight, North.”

He licked his lips. “Not tonight, no, we’re still preparing you for that. But soon.”

She shivered, and he ran a hand over his cock through his pants. Shit, his plan of making her think of something other than her nerves had backfired. Now he’d have to get rid of his hard-on before sitting with his family for dinner.

Having a mate seemed to lead him into whole new situations, and he fucking loved it.

“You look beautiful, Lex,” he said as she patted down her curves.

“Thank you, but I’m still nervous.”

“You’ve had meals with my family before.”

“But this is different.”

Yes. This would be the first family meal with Lexi by his side.

He couldn’t wait.

A knock on the door pulled him out of his thoughts.

“Come in, Logan,” Lexi called as she walked into her bathroom doing whatever women did when they were getting ready.

“I don’t know why I have to go to this family dinner,” Lexi’s brother grumbled as he fixed the sleeves on his button-down shirt.

“Because I need my family there,” Lexi said from the bathroom.

“Lexi, you’re going to be there with my family, which is now
your
family,” North said softly, and Logan smiled.

“Thanks,” the other man mouthed, and North nodded.

Lexi came out, her eyes filled with tears.

He jumped up to his feet and ran to her. “Hey, I didn’t mean to make you cry.” He pulled her into his arms, and she pushed back.

“I’m fine, really. That was just really sweet of you to say.”

“Okay, you can stop with the sap now,” Logan added in, deadpan.

“Does that make me family too?” Parker asked from the doorway, and North turned to the kid he wanted to claim as his own.

“Of course. You know me and your mom are mates, and that means we mix our families together.” He hoped the hell he was saying the right thing.

“So that means I can call Cailin Aunt Cailin?” the kid asked, and North held back a laugh. Yeah, the kid had it bad for North’s sister.

“Yep. I think she’d like that. You’re family. So is Logan.” North raised a brow at the man. Unsaid was that Logan was family through Lexi, not Cailin. If the man even looked at North’s baby sister in the wrong way he’d end him.

Slowly.

“I don’t have to call you dad, do I?” Parker asked, and North froze.

“Uh…”

“I don’t know if I’m ready for that.”

North nodded, his throat suddenly very dry. “You can call me North, Parker. I won’t force you to do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable.”

Parker bit his lip then nodded.

Hell, North needed a drink, not that wolves could get drunk without copious amounts of alcohol. He could use one nonetheless.

“Okay then, we need to go now, or we’ll be late,” Lexi said, her voice unusually high.

It might seem like an insta-family to some, but North would take it. He just wasn’t exactly sure what he was going to do with it when he got it. It wasn’t as if he’d ever been a dad before.

They piled into his Jeep then made their way to his parents’ house. The Jamenson family dinners were not only summonses. They were times when they could all talk about things that were going on within the Pack and their individual families.

Before Kade met Melanie, seeming to start the cascade effect of the rest of the brothers finding their mates, dinner used to be a little quieter, a little shorter.

Now there were added mates, babies, children, and chaos.

North knew his mother was in grandmother heaven.

As soon as they made it to the porch, his mother opened the door, a bright smile on her face even with the wariness that came with war in her eyes.

“You’re late, North Jamenson, but since you’ve brought me this little guy, I will forgive you. Come in.”

Before North could blink, she had Parker in a tight hug. Her murmurs and squeals at him reflected Parker’s being there as part of North’s family rather than a normal guest and made him smile.

“You know, Parker, Finn used to be the oldest cousin, but now I think you are,” Pat said as she pulled him in for another hug. “Are you ready for that responsibility?” she asked, her tone solemn.

“I’ll take care of the other kids. I promise,” Parker answered, his tone equally solemn.

Yep, North had just fallen in love with the kid.

Lexi wrapped an arm around his waist, and he pulled her close.

He loved the kid’s mom just as hard.

“Go sit at the children’s table. Your Uncle Reed will be sitting with you since he decided to use one of my vegetables as a weapon.”

“It was
one
pea, Mom! And Kade was egging me on,” Reed called from the other room, and North laughed.

As old as they were, he and his brothers had never grown up.

“Shut up, Reed. Lexi, it’s good to see you.” She kissed Lexi’s cheek and hugged her before moving to Logan. “And, Logan, I’m glad you could come.”

Logan looked like a fish out of water but let the smaller woman bring him into her arms.

Once they got through the foyer, they made their way to the dining room where everyone already sat, drinks in front of them and the food in covered dishes on the table.

He felt Lexi freeze beside him, and he pulled her closer.

“I’m sorry we’re late,” Lexi said, her voice small.

“I waylaid her, but we’re here now,” North added in before she could blame herself.

His family laughed and gave knowing glances.

“We’re glad you could come,” Willow said, her eyes bright. “Now you can tell us all about those details Hannah said you were holding back.”

North frowned and looked at Lexi as they sat down. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that his mother had put Logan across from Cailin, but the two wouldn’t even look at each other.

Interesting.

“What details?” he asked as Lexi blushed red.

“Uh, nothing. I’ll talk about it later, Willow.”

Hannah and Melanie threw their heads back and laughed while the others looked around, confused at missing the joke.

North shrugged it off, knowing he’d tease Lexi’s real answer from her later. As soon as his mother sat, they began serving the roast, chicken, veggies, and sides family style. He loved his mother’s cooking and knew that no matter how hard he tried, he’d never be as good as her.

“Can you cook?” North asked, his voice low. That seemed like something he should know. Yes, they’d had meals together before, but he’d never really thought about it.

Lexi raised a brow. “Yes, though not as good as Willow and your mom. If you’re asking if I’m planning on being your cooking slave, that would be no.”

He could feel every eye on them, and he swore he could also feel a blush running up his neck.

“That’s not what I meant.”

Lexi leaned toward him and captured his lips. “Good.”

“Whipped already. I like it,” Kade said then rubbed his side where Melanie had elbowed him.

“I’ll show you whipped, Kade Jamenson.”

“Lexi, as long as you can cook better than Reed and Hannah, you’re fine,” Josh said and then kissed Hannah’s temple.

“I heard that!” Reed called from the kiddie table.

Hannah just shrugged. “Reed’s the one who caught that towel on fire. Not me.”

Josh raised a brow. “No, you only burned a hole in the bottom of my pan while boiling water.”

Hannah blushed hard, and Josh pulled her close for a kiss.

North smiled then leaned back so he could hang an arm around Lexi’s chair. He loved eating with his family now more than ever. Sure, he’d enjoyed it in the past with the inside jokes and ribbing, but now that he had his own family with him, he liked it even more.

He looked across the table at his twin, who had his head lowered while talking to his mate. Maddox had to be feeling all the emotions of the people in the room but looked as though he was finally at peace rather than holding in the strain as he had before.

North knew his twin had Ellie to thank for that.

Maddox looked over and smiled at North. He raised a glass, and North did the same.

Yes, things had certainty changed over the past few years…though not all of it good.

Once dinner was over, they cleaned up their dishes, served coffee, and sent the kids to his mother’s kiddie room. Armed with baby monitors and an observant Parker, the adults left the kids to their own devices—at least those who were awake. The babies, at least, were sleeping.

Now was the time to talk about what had been bugging North from the start.

The rot within the Pack.

And the oily ruination of the Centrals.

North sank into the end of one of the couches and pulled Lexi onto his lap.

“Hey,” she whispered.

“I’m just saving room,” he said back, and she rolled her eyes.

“Sure, brother mine,” Cailin said as she sat, squeezing between him and Maddox.

North looked up at Logan, who just gave Cailin a hard grin then sank to the floor in front of her, essentially trapping his sister’s legs against him.

Every single male Jamenson gaze landed on Lexi’s brother, but he did nothing but look at them all and raise a brow.