Raber Wolf Pack Book Two (4 page)

“All right, precious. I’m Gary.” A very handsome man—or wolf, what the hell do I call them? Anyway, Gary, with his light brown hair and chocolate brown eyes, is waving to me from the end of the table. “And these are my boys, Greg and Garret.” He points to two handsome men that resemble their father, but younger. Damn. Is there like a
must be hot to be in this pack
clause or something?

“Hi. Nice to meet you.” I’ve never had problems in social situations, talking to people is really my thing. So, why allow what is happening now to change that. Sure, I’m fucked in a lot of ways, but according to Lily, I’ll probably die here in the next couple of days. Why not live them to the fullest? With that sound resolve, I straighten my shoulders and engage the table in conversation. It’s nothing in depth, just learning names and who is whose parents, not that I will remember all of it, but it’s friendly and they are all giving me the same courtesy. Some of the wolves’ apprehension of me seems to drift away as our conversation flows.

The air in the room suddenly changes, and I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s something deep that reverberates all the way in my bones. It’s a very strange sensation, unlike any I’ve ever experienced. Everyone around the table rises to their feet, and my dumb ass just sits still, in shock with brows furrowed. The large doors that I entered through earlier open and three massive men step through them. Men. Okay, maybe not men. Maybe gods is a better term for them.

“Holy shit,” I gasp, taking in all that is magnificent. Tall, so very tall, well above six feet, shoulders and chests that rival pro football players but seem more like they were custom made just for them. They all exude power, but the one that captures me is the blond. There is something about him that is pulling me in, and I have no clue what the hell it is.

Shit. I rise to my feet, not really understanding what’s happening, but for some reason feeling like I’ve done the wrong thing. The dark-haired man nods and everyone around me sits back down and I scurry to follow suit. “No need for such formalities,” he says, sounding almost amused, but the gruffness of his voice almost hides it.

Blond man breathes in deep, sucking in all of the oxygen in the room, and I swear his eyes light up from whatever he smells to the point that they are white. His eyes lock with mine and his breathing picks up, his chest rising and falling rapidly, but I don’t feel nervous or scared around him. Why don’t I? I break the spell and look away to Lily, hoping she will give me something—answers, hell I don’t know.

“Are you controlling my emotions right now?” She shakes her head. Holy shit. My eyes fly back to his brilliant green ones. Heat sears my veins and I can feel it in every part of my body. It’s as if I’m attuned to him in some magical way. How is that possible?

The three men stride up to the table and my heart picks up in rapid beats, though it’s not exactly nerves. I think I’m actually turned on? But how can that be?

“What’s your name, little one?” The gorgeous blond with the striking emerald eyes asks. His gravelly voice slides over me like a warm coat, a cocoon, making me feel utterly safe. And confused.

“Kenly.” My name comes out breathy, in a tone I’ve never heard from my own lips. Even in my best moments at a bar flirting with guys, I’ve never sounded this way.

He smirks, tilting up the corner of his mouth, showing me a sexy dimple. My stomach twists in a knot. “Hello, Kenly. Welcome to the Raber pack. I’m Max, beta of the pack.”

“Hi,” I say softly, trying to not act like a teenager seeing a hot guy for the first time. Hello, confidence, where the hell did you go?

“This is our alpha, Xavier.” He nods his head to the strong, dark-haired man on his left. This man has so much power oozing from him that I’m surprised he hasn’t combusted. “And the gamma, Thor.” He nods to a man with light brown hair on his other side.

“Hello.” Their penetrating gazes make me want to fall into myself. They stare at me and I feel like they’re invading my innermost thoughts.

The three men fill their plates quickly and come back over to the table. Xavier sits at the head with Max and Thor on either side of him. “Found you when you were being attacked. I know that this is a lot to absorb, but I’m counting on the fact that Lily filled you in on a lot of what is going to happen to you in the next few days.” Max looks over to Lily expectantly.

“I told her, sir.”

“Good. Do you have any questions?” Max asks, digging into his food. Xavier and Thor do as well.

“I have a ton of questions. But I’m not sure where to start. This is all a bit much. Had you asked me yesterday if I’d be sitting with a bunch of wolves at a table talking about the possibility of my impending death, I’d have laughed in your face.” His face loses its easygoing quality and becomes tight, hard, and a bit scary. Even Xavier and Thor stop mid-bite at my words to glare at me.

“You will not speak of death again,” Max commands, and I feel like a two-year-old getting scolded by her parents. The air in the room shifts, growing thick and congested. “I will not hear those words come out of your mouth again.”

“So, what would you call it then?” I do have a mind and he may be Beta—whatever that is—but I’m still me. That is one thing that will never change. I’ve made sure of that my entire life.

“Transferring. You will transfer or shift into a wolf then back to human.” Max’s tone is clipped and stern, like what he says will for sure, one hundred percent happen. And while I’ve only had a few hours to adjust to this, I hope that he’s right. I’m really not ready to leave this life yet.

“But you don’t know that for sure. Lily tells me I’ll be in a hell of a lot of pain, among other things. It’s really not something I’m looking forward to. No offense,” I counter, and Max’s jaw ticks.

“We do not turn humans into wolves. But this has happened and now we deal.” The sizzle I felt from Max blows into a cloud of dust. He has to
deal
with me. Great. Just what I want to be, a burden. “You will stay here until the transfer is complete, and since you don’t have a home pack, you’ll be allowed to join ours with Xavier as your alpha.” Wait a minute.

“I thought I could go home after all of this was said and done.” I sit back in the chair and cross my arms over my chest, feeling the cuts as I do. They’re different than before, not so painful.

“You can if you choose, but wolves need to be around other wolves. Need to interact, transfer whenever they want, and run together in the woods. Also, to fight and stand by one another’s side. If you choose to go back to your old life as if nothing happened, then…” His voice trails off like he wants to say something but doesn’t.

So, I prompt him. “Then what?”

“Then we deal with that when the time comes.” His hand clenches around his fork, bending the metal. Holy crap. My eyes widen and he looks down at the utensil. “Jewels, please get me a fork.” She does so immediately and he acts like it never happened, or maybe it happens all the time.

The door flies open and a beautiful woman and a small child enter, exuberant and full of energy. Xavier rises immediately, picking the young girl up and wrapping his arms around the woman. He kisses her hard then rubs his nose against her cheek and temple.

Well, that’s kind of sweet.

“We’re hungry!” she exclaims. “Aren’t we, Natalie? Let’s get food.” The little girl smiles, nodding her head.

“I’ll take her,” Jewels says cheerfully, and the woman’s eyes come to me. They are warm and inviting. I instantly like her. She makes her way to me, holding out her hand, and I take it.

“I’m Zara, Xavier’s mate. It’s nice to have you in our home. Please, let me know if we can do anything to make your stay more pleasant.” Then she barrels off to the little girl like she doesn’t want to leave her side for too long. Interesting.

Max

MINE. MINE. MINE. Mine. Mine.
My inner wolf is growling, pacing, and clawing inside my head, demanding to come out to mark this human as ours. Never in my hundred and fifteen years have I smelled such a delectable female, and I’m very close to losing my shit and going for it. The only thing that is stopping me from claiming her as mine is all of her bandages. If I do this now, right after she was attacked, I’d be setting myself up for disaster. She’ll see me as an animal like those motherfuckers that hurt her. I never want her to see me that way.

Her beautiful caramel hair flows down in waves with a swoop of hair on her forehead. Her eyes remind me of the sea, blue with a bit of green. Her face is utterly breathtaking, reminding me of a heart, and her pouty lips were made to be kissed.

I’d been searching high and low for the crystal necklace that Zara’s Nana O gave her, and it led me right to Kenly’s door. I only tracked her for a day, but had no clue those bastard wolves would attack her. I was lucky to be there. But I can’t help but be pissed. Not only did a human get hurt by our kind, but to have this stabbing impulse that she is your mate? This shit just does not happen. Humans are not wolves’ mates. Only another wolf can be a wolf’s mate. But the pull is so damn strong to her. She thinks she’s been thrown curveballs today? Hell, I’m in the same fucking boat.

The stench of lust from the unmated wolves at the table reeks, no doubt they smell the sweetness that is her. No. Not fucking happening. I stare each wolf directly in the eyes, letting it be known without words that she is mine, and each bows their head in understanding. They can’t smell
us
since she’s not a wolf, but I’ll be damned if one of them touches her. She has no idea what I’d do to protect her, what lengths, even without really knowing her. I do know that humans have a different way of being in relationships and I need to keep that close to mind. And unfortunately, time is not on our side. Fuck.

“So, when is this going to start?” Kenly, what a sexy name to go with such a gorgeous woman. She doesn’t direct the question to anyone specific, and I’m too enthralled to discuss what she will have to go through. I’d do anything to go through the pain for her.

“It will start soon. Alpha?” Lily calls, and his attention moves to her.

I know he is apprehensive of Kenly, and since I feel that she is my mate, Xavier is fearful for me. If she doesn’t make it through the process, I may not either. Mates have a connection even without being marked. Breaking it would be less painful, but still harsh. The loss eats at the survivor and it doesn’t usually end well.

“More than likely. Max will be seeing you through the process,” he answers, angling his head to me. I am grateful that he put me in charge of her. I’m the only one that should be, but I need Lily to help keep Kenly calm.

“Do you know how much longer Doc is going to be?” Lily asks me instead of Alpha. Once he gives the directive that I’m in charge of Kenly, all of Lily’s focus comes to me. She’s already so damn protective of her and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I nod to Thor. “Call him.” He pulls out his phone and waits for the connection.

“How much longer?” He’s terse and to the point, not out of disrespect but out of impatience. We really have no clue what we’re going into here and it is setting everyone on edge. He disconnects. “Five minutes.”

“We need to get you ready downstairs for when he comes,” Lily tells Kenly.

I nod in understanding to Lily. Her being an emotional healer will help with any discomfort or turmoil that I’m sure Kenly will face.

“Wait.” My focus goes back to Kenly as she speaks. “We. Who is
we
?”

With utter coolness and even tone, I answer. “Lily, you, me, and the doctor.” Not that I want another male anywhere near my mate, but for her safety and to ease her pain, I’ll do whatever is necessary.

“Why do
you
have to be there?” She gestures in my direction, her brows creased in confusion. It looks hot as hell on her.

Because you are
mine
.

“Because I’m the beta and I can help you.” Muffled laughter comes from the table and I silence them with one piercing look. They should know better.

“Beta, do you want to meet us down there?” Lily asks, rising from her chair.

“Yes. We will be down in a few.”

She smiles down at Kenly. “Come on, let’s get you prepared to get checked out.”

Kenly rises from the chair and her curves knock me on my fucking ass. She is definitely a tits and ass woman. Perfect fucking hips to carry all of my pups. Fuck yes. As I trail up her body, a small smirk plays on her lips. She knows I was looking. Good. It’ll make this shit easier.

If she were a wolf, I’d have bit, marked, and claimed her already. But her being human and changing, I don’t know what the fuck to expect. I will be pulling the doctor aside to ask him.

The door shuts behind them, and I let out a breath I didn’t even know I was holding. Fucking shit. My wolf growls, wanting me to get up right this second and follow her, protect her. It takes all of my strength to keep him at bay.

Xavier nudges my arm. “You sure?”

We spoke of this before we came down to eat and both he and Thor each have expressed their concerns. They are very valid because if she dies I will be fucked. When a wolf loses a mate, the wolf can turn feral and destroy everything in its path. Eventually, they would need to be put down and usually it’s the alpha who would have to do it. There are just too many
ifs
at the moment to know what the hell to do.