Sorry, Charlie (Poconos Pack) (5 page)

Chela almost slid off the bench from laughing so hard.

“The female was screeching at me to go away, she had a honeymoon to enjoy. When I mentioned that they could be heard all the way in New York, they promised to tone it down.”

“I gather they didn’t?” Belle’s lips were twitching, her green eyes filled with amusement.

“We moved the Lions to the honeymoon suite…two days later.” Charlie shook her head. “Every time I went to speak to them the male Lion was polite enough to stand at attention.”

“A little on the stiff side, huh?”

Charlie nodded. “Kind of rigid, but very upstanding.”

“Did you stand firm on the noise levels?”

Charlie glanced at Chela. It looked like the Omega might pass out from lack of oxygen. “He was polite even when I raised the subject.”

“He must have really perked up when you told him about the honeymoon suite.”

“His mood was definitely elevated.”

Chela fell on the floor, curled in a ball.

The waitress came by to check on them, took one look at Chela, and asked, “Does she need help getting up?”

Charlie shook her head. “Nope. I think she’s fine standing up on her own.”

Belle smiled at the waitress. “I don’t know. She might need a hand.”

Chela remained on the floor, gasping for air as the waitress, confused, walked away, shaking her head. Chela had seen that before, usually when the three of them were eating together. “Was it something I said?”

Chapter Five

Ted took a deep breath and entered the office of his Alpha, Rick Lowell. He knew what he smelled like. The ribbing he anticipated would be brutal.

Ben Malone, the Pack Marshall and his direct boss, was already in the room. “Hey, Ted.” The Marshall grinned. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks.” Ted couldn’t keep the smile from his face. He’d finally done it, claimed the princess for his own, and he couldn’t be happier about it.

“Finally grew a pair and bit her, huh?”

Ted gave him the finger. “Fuck you, Ben.”

“That’s my job.” Behind him, the deep voice of the Beta surprised him. Dave Maldonado entered the office and immediately went to his mate. He kissed Ben quickly. “Good day so far?”

Dave’s tone was completely different with Ben. The soft, loving affection made Ted smile. Ben and Dave had been through hell and come out on the other side stronger than ever. The only mating he’d seen as strong was that between his Luna and his Alpha. Ted was glad for both men.

Still, that didn’t mean he couldn’t rib them a little. “Ugh. Kissy-face. You know I hate kissy-face.”

Dave made kissy-face at him.

Ben scowled and elbowed his mate in the stomach.

Dave merely laughed. The Beta was
huge
, almost as big as the Alpha, and had a lot of the qualities of an Alpha. Yet the man was completely content being Rick’s Beta and living peacefully with his mate.

“So I hear congratulations are in order,” Dave said with a smile. “It’s about fucking time, man. With the way you kept hiding and shaking I was starting to think we had ninjas.”

Ben blinked at his mate. “Ninjas?”

Dave shrugged. “What else would send the Second of the Poconos Pack running?”

“Clowns.” Ben shuddered. “That would do it for me.”

“Ninja clowns?” Dave tilted his head. “Not sure how well they’d blend.”

Ben’s brows rose. “I guess it depends on the decor.”

Dave laughed and took a seat. “So. Charlie, huh?”

Ben began to whistle something that sounded like “Hakuna Matata”. Or it might have been two hummingbirds having a fight. He wasn’t certain.

Before he could comment, Rick came into the office and closed the door behind him. “Good. We’re all here.”

As Rick walked around to his desk, the others glanced at one another. Chela was usually included in all meetings, due to her status as Omega. And Belle would find out what was happening before any of them could step out of the room. So why had the Alpha shut the women out?

“They’re plotting something.” Rick sat at his desk and stared at them all, a worried frown on his face. “I don’t know if you noticed, but all three of them were huddled together. They had that look on their faces.”

Ben winced. Dave groaned. Ted’s insides turned to ice.

“Any idea what they might be up to?” Ted took the seat next to Dave. He wasn’t certain his knees would hold him up. “And should we invite Steve?”

“Good idea.” Ben pulled out his cell phone. “Chela tells him everything.”

Rick growled. “Must be nice.”

It was well known that the Luna kept secrets from her Alpha, and it drove him crazy. The secrets were for the most part harmless, but that wasn’t the point in Rick’s eyes.

Ted wondered what type of mate Charlie would be. Would he know all of her secrets, her fears and desires? Or would she tease him with little glimpses until he went out of his mind like his Alpha? He wasn’t sure which one he feared more. If he knew all, he might feel he wasn’t up to the task of taking care of his mate. But if she hid things from him, he’d go insane trying to find out what she was up to on a daily basis.

“Steve? Get your ass over to…No, I don’t care where you… Oh.” Ben made a face. “You don’t say. Here?” Ben shot Ted a quick, terrified glance. “I’ll let him know.” Ben hung up the phone. “The Leo is coming.”

Ted froze. This was his worst nightmare coming to life before him. “Eshcusawhat?”

Ben nodded. “He wants to meet the man who mated his baby sister.”

Ted tried to remind himself that breathing was a good thing.

“Let me guess who invited him?” Rick crossed his arms over his chest and sighed.

Dave shook his head, put his hands to his lips in a trumpet shape and blew Taps.

Ted stared at Rick in horror. “I need a one-way ticket to Abu Dhabi.”

Rick flopped back in his chair. “Denied.”

“Damn it.” Ted’s leg began to bounce. “How far can a lone Wolf run?”

“Depends on his motivation.” Dave leaned forward, a semi-serious expression on his face. “How motivated are you?”

Ted stood up to show him when Rick barked, “Enough!”

Ted sat his ass back down.

“You—” Rick pointed to Ted, “—are not acting like the bad-ass I know you can be. You—” Rick pointed to Dave, “—stop encouraging him.”

Dave pouted. “You never let me have any fun.”

Rick snarled, but Dave only laughed in response.

“The Leo isn’t just coming to see Ted.” Ben glanced around the room. “He’s coming to see us.”

“I’m surprised he hasn’t come before now, but I bet Charlie yowled at him until he agreed to stay away.” Ted rubbed his face. “If she’s invited him here, we might never get rid of him.”

Ben’s brows rose. “That sounds almost like you’re plotting to off him.”

Ted kept his lips zipped. In a Lion eat Wolf world, he’d be cat food.

“We need to follow Protocol when he comes.” Rick’s pronouncement was followed by a round of moans.

“He’s right,” Ted replied. “If we follow Protocol, we’ll bore him so badly he’ll go home after three days, max.”

Dave’s head swiveled toward the books on Rick’s shelves. “What is the Protocol for a visiting Leo?”

“I have no fucking clue,” Rick grumbled, “but we’d better find out.”

“I’ll check the archives. There might be something there.” Ben, who usually handled the money, was probably the best of them at research. He was meticulous in whatever he chose to do.

“I’ll call Alpha Consiglione and Alpha Cannon.” Dave pulled out his cell phone. “They’re the closest Alphas to us. I’m certain the Leo will want to meet them.”

Ted began to smile. “I don’t think the Cannons will make it, not with a new baby, but Nate should be able to.”

“Good point, but I’ll invite them anyway. Maybe Max will come without Emma.”

Ted doubted it. He remembered the way Max Cannon hovered over his petite dynamo of a mate. No way would he leave her behind, even for the Leo. “I’ll take care of the room. He’ll probably have an entourage.” Ted frowned as he thought about where to place the Leo. “Perhaps we should give him the largest cabin, the one facing the woods.” It housed six to eight people, boasted a full kitchen and a wrap-around deck. It was their best cabin. “That would be appropriate for the Leo yet keep him out of the main house.”

“And off the Pack’s floor.” Rick nodded. “Schedule it. Move people if you have to, but do it.”

Ted nodded and called the front desk, scheduling the room under another name. He didn’t want the Pack to find out quite yet that the Leo was coming to the Poconos, not until Rick had a chance to tell them himself. “Done. For now it’s under the name Joe Smith.”

Rick tapped his fingers together, then tilted his head to stare up at Dave. “Have the ladies sent you any emails about scheduling a room for a party?”

Dave frowned and checked his email over the Alpha’s shoulder. “Yup. Chela’s requested the space for next week.”

Ted whistled. “He’ll be here sooner than I thought.”

“I’d better call—” Dave was cut off by the sound of Rick’s phone ringing.

Rick scowled and picked up. “Hello?” His brows rose. “Hold on, I’m putting you on speaker.”

“You there?” Nate’s voice was cheerful. “I hear we’re having a party.”

Ted and Ben exchanged a glance. “Seems the ladies contacted him first,” Ben said quietly.

“Yes, we are.” Rick nodded to Ted. “Our Second mated with the Leo’s sister.”

“Really?
Congratulazioni. I nostri migliori auguri e tanta felicità.
”

“Thank you,” Ted replied. He had no idea what the Coyote Alpha had said, but Nate’s tone had been congratulatory, so Ted took it that way.

“So I guess the formal wedding is this week?”

“No,” Rick replied. “The Leo is coming to visit and congratulate his sister on her mating.”

The line went silent for a moment. “Sucks to be you, man.” Nate started laughing. “Hey, Keith! Guess who’s getting a visit from the Leo!”

“Ass,” Rick growled.

“I am so taking pictures of your face when he gets there.” Nate chuckled. “I’ll be there tomorrow, Beta in tow.”

“You do that, because he’s gonna meet you too.”

“Can’t wait, Dick.” Nate hung up, his laughter still ringing in Ted’s ears.

“Fuckin’ Coyotes.” Rick glanced at Dave. “Did you get hold of Max?”

Dave nodded. “He said he’d discuss it with Emma, but he’d probably send his regrets.”

“Not surprised.” Ted stood and stretched his hands over his head. “Told you he wouldn’t take his baby up here. Not yet, anyway. Plus I hear they have their own shit going on down the mountain. If his Pride is in danger he’d never leave.”

Rick scowled. “Why didn’t I know about this?”

Ted shrugged. “Whatever it is, they’re keeping pretty quiet about it. I just noticed we’ve had fewer Pumas visiting than usual. Maybe it has something to do with that doctor that went nuts.” Now that he was mated he couldn’t imagine losing Charlie. It would literally kill him.

Rick sighed deeply. “Belle needs to know. If her Pride is in need, she’s going to want to act.”

“And woe to any who stand in her way,” Ben added quietly.

“One crisis at a time, please.” Ted held up his hands, hoping to stop that line of thought before it took off too far. “We’ll find out soon enough about what’s happening in Halle. The gossip mill will make sure of it. Let’s concentrate on the Leo’s impending visit first.”

Chapter Six

Charlie stood next to her mate, trying desperately to ignore his rigid stance and pale complexion. Next to Ted stood Ben and Dave, and next to Ben stood Chela and Steve. And just in front of them, one step below, were Rick and Belle. The Alpha’s long red hair was free, his thick arms crossed over his chest as he waited. Sometimes he scared the shit out of her, but most of the time he proved to be a big marshmallow wrapped in power.

Hail, Hail, the gang’s all here.
Only they weren’t having a party. They were awaiting the arrival of the Leo, the Pack’s leaders in the forefront with the members of the Pack spread out behind them on the huge wrap-around porch.

Her brother was due to arrive at any moment, and the Wolves had decided to pull out all the stops. She’d been told that they were going for full Protocol, whatever the hell that was. Ted had tried to explain it to her, but she’d gotten bored halfway through and pounced on him. The sex had been phenomenal, but she still didn’t know what the hell was going on.

A white SUV pulled up to the Lodge, followed by another, bigger SUV. She could see Kincade in the front of the smaller SUV, with Sebastian right next to him. She smiled. That must have driven Kincade nuts, having the Leo front and center, visible through the windshield. He took his duties very seriously when it came to Seb’s safety, but Seb had the habit of ignoring or outright overturning Kincade’s measures. How Kincade could continue working for her brother she didn’t know. She adored them both, but she was happy to have found her mate far,
far
away from Sedona.