Pack, page 9
part #3 of Five Fangs Series
The smell of lemons intensified as she doused me with her magic. Her eyes grew sharp and her face turned stern, and I shuddered because I knew what she saw inside me.
"You will tell me everything that hurt you," she commanded, "so I can understand how you need to be loved."
"Poppy." I blinked at the sudden sting in my eyes. "I'm not good for you and have nothing to give you. Not even a home or an income. I'd only disappoint you."
"I am good for you, and the only thing I need you to give me is yourself. Your love and your loyalty. And I don't have a home or income, either." She rolled her eyes. "Obviously, I don't even own a pair of shoes right now, but you know what? We'll figure it out together."
I raised one shaking hand and cupped her face with it. Stroking my thumb over her full cheek, I savored the mate sparks. She smiled and leaned into my hand.
I don't know how much longer I can hold out and be noble here.
"Leo, the Goddess led me here to you and to this pack for a reason, and I think some of it might have to do with the sister witches I sense in this house."
Oh, yeah, I thought. Forgot about them.
See? Ruby yipped. The Goddess' hand at work.
"My alphas are here, too," I told her. "They're going to want to ask you a lot of questions. Let me get you a pair of pants, then we'll meet everyone. Sorry I don't have any, um, underthings for you."
"It's fine. I'll appreciate anything."
Reau, buddy, bring me a pair of your sleep pants for Poppy, please, I linked him.
She's not a fox anymore? he pouted.
She can't stay a fox all the time. I rolled my eyes. Don't you want to meet her?
Is she pretty?
Very.
On my way!
And she's mine, Reau, I growled. When he didn't answer, I repeated, Reau?
"We'll go shopping later. The pack has emergency funds for situations like this," I explained to her.
Then Thoreau was thundering down the basement stairs.
"Here, Poppy! Pants!" Yelling that, he flung them at her in his enthusiasm.
She caught them before they could hit her in the face, and fury almost blinded me when I saw the raw skin of her left hand. Carefully, I caught her arm and held it still so I could examine the injury.
"Did those mutts do this?" I asked through clenched teeth.
"No. It's a long story that I'll have to tell your alphas anyway." She smiled at me. "It'll be back to normal by tomorrow, Leo. I promise."
"I got you my favorite pair, Poppy!" Thoreau interrupted, still yelling. "They're super soft!"
"That's too loud, Reau," I grumbled.
"Sorry," he whispered.
"Thank you." She flashed her strong, white teeth at him in a wide grin. "It's very kind of you to loan me your favorite."
"Can you be the fox sometimes just so I can pet you?" Dismissing her gratitude, he tilted his head and his stone-colored eyes stared at her innocently.
"Sure!"
"Reau, meet us upstairs, okay?" I said. "Poppy needs to get dressed now."
He nodded, then was gone as quickly as he came.
"He's a very sweet boy," she murmured as she stepped into the sleep pants and pulled them up.
"Yeah, he is. He's got some issues—"
"I know, and he has a hole inside him, too. Don't worry. I'm here now to help you both heal."
"Poppy?" I couldn't help but give her one last out. "If you choose to stay, if you accept me as your mate, my life is yours. My love is yours. My loyalty is yours. Until I take my last breath, all that I am and ever hope to be is yours."
I laid my finger over her lips when she opened her mouth to reply.
"But don't stick around and make me believe you'll keep me if you're only going to reject me later. I'm already so broken, I don't even know where all the pieces are, never mind how to put them back together again. Just do it now and get it over with so I don't have to be tortured by false hope, too."
My speech finished, I dropped my hand and waited for her to finish crushing the last bits of me that weren't already shattered. Despite her earlier words, I couldn't believe that she'd choose me. That she would find me worthy enough to be her mate.
"I, Poppy Steep Rock Torres—"
Well, hell. I closed my eyes. Here it comes.
No! Ruby howled.
"Will love you my whole life, Leo Espen Halder. You and no other. You are mine, and I am yours."
And two arms went around my waist and squeezed me tightly. Heart thudding, I folded my arms around her shoulders and hugged her back.
"Poppy," I whispered into her hair and my voice cracked. "Please don't leave me."
"Never. I can't force you to believe me, Leo, but you will eventually." Her shoulders shrugged against my chest. "Then I can say I told you so. Win-win for me."
"I don't know." From somewhere, I found enough mischief to tease her. "It's kind of unfair to make announcements like that when you can see the future and I can't."
"Is it my fault that I'm perfect?" She pulled her head back enough to look at me, her liquid black eyes snapping.
"No, it's not and, yes, you are," I grinned down at her, feeling lighter than I had in a long, long time.
"Good boy!" She reached up and patted the top of my head with her uninjured hand.
With a playful growl, I picked her up by her waist so we were nose to nose.
"Oh, am I going to have fun kissing that sass out of you, little vixen," I murmured and stared into her dark eyes.
"Since I'm ninety percent sass, I think that will take a lot of kissing." Her lips curled into a smirk. "Decades and decades and decades."
"Oh, a hundred years at least," I whispered as I pressed my lips to hers.
11: Lost and Found and Lost
Cole
While we waited for Leo's new mate to wake up, we borrowed some clothes and shifted. Thank the Goddess Emerson was a big guy like me and Mase! Thoreau was tickled pink to loan his t-shirts and shorts to the witches, who had flown to the fight, and Angelo kitted out Wyatt, Jay, and Ash. We all held back our laughter when Ash sighed and looked down at where Angelo's pants ended just below his knees.
"Think of them as long shorts," I suggested with a snort.
He sneered and flipped me off.
Then we chowed down on pancakes, linked Posy, and caught up with everyone. We were all happy to see Thoreau adjusting well, even though there were several signs that he needed help beyond the love and care of his new family.
While I watched the boy chat excitedly with Wyatt about Arch and Wayne and dirt bikes, I linked Emerson and Angelo, telling them that we could look into a counselor or therapist for him. They said they already had a meeting set up with a shifter from the royal pack that owed Angelo a favor. I was glad, and I knew Posy also would be when I told her.
"We wanted to set Leo up to see him, too," Emerson said, then bit his lip as he looked at his mate.
"He's refusing so far." Angelo sighed and squeezed Emerson's shoulder. "He needs time. We'll keep our eye on him until we can convince him."
"Posy will talk to him, too," Jay said with a nod.
"She certainly has a weakness for the underdog, doesn't she?" Ariel murmured with a gentle smile. "It's admirable how she can be so caring after what she's endured."
"She's a badass bitch, all right." Ash puffed out his chest and beamed proudly.
"That's not the nicest way to say that your mate is a strong woman, Ash." Papa rolled his eyes at him.
"It shocked her the first time I said it," he admitted, "but I think she kind of likes it now, not that she would ever say a swear word."
After our late breakfast, we sent Zayden and Zayne to trace the dire wolves' trail back to where they crossed into Dark Woods and make sure there weren't any more surprises waiting across the border. Beatrix insisted on going along; since her mates and Angelo were fine with that, who were we to say no?
Then Sara and Ariel volunteered to fly back to the alpha house and bring some vehicles over for us to drive home. Maria, on the other hand, decided to stay in case Poppy woke up before they came back.
Once we were settled in the living room with cups of coffee, Mase asked if anyone had ever visited the Cold Moon pack.
"Yeah, I have," Emerson volunteered. "A couple of months before I found Five Fangs, I met with the alpha to see if it might work out for me to join the pack. Why?"
"Did you meet his luna?" Mase asked.
"Craziest woman I have ever had the misfortune to meet," Emerson grouched, then turned to Angelo. "Babe, I'm telling you now, if I lose my mind, put me down. Do not let me hurt people and linger for years in madness and misery."
"Orsacchiotto (teddy bear), you forget I have healing in these hands." Angelo smirked and wiggled his fingers at him. "I'll keep your mind straight."
"The only straight thing about you, Em," Wyatt snickered, unable to help himself. "It's good that you have Gelo's magic hands to keep you from losing your nuts."
"Wyatt!" Jay hissed. "There's a lady present! And the expression is losing your marbles, not your nuts."
"Eh, marbles, nuts, same thing. And if he's going to pitch me balls, I have to swing at them."
"Stop thinking with your balls for five minutes!"
"Why are you thinking about my balls?"
"I didn't say I was! I said you were."
"But you had to be thinking about them to think I was thinking with them. I mean, I know they're tremendous, interesting, and amazing, but, dude, you're my brother. It's wrong for you to obsess over them like this."
"Wyatt, I am going to cut your balls off and shove them down your throat if you don't shut the hell up!" Jay gritted through his teeth.
Papa's head swiveled from Wyatt to Jay and back like he was watching a tennis match, an impassive look on his face, but his eyes glinted with laughter. Em's face turned beet red, Dad choked on a laugh, and Angelo hid a grin behind his hand. Thoreau looked clueless, Maria and Ash were giggling messes, and Mase looked done.
I mean, he looked DONE.
Being around Papa always put his hackles up and made his icy front downright arctic. Add in this morning's surprise fight and now Wyatt's antics when he was trying to have a serious conversation, and he was about to erupt.
With a sigh, I reached around Maria and slapped Wyatt upside the head.
The little cunt had the audacity to scowl at me.
Bro, I just saved your life, I linked him with an eye roll. You should say thanks.
Jay wouldn't cut—
Not Jay. Mase, I hissed. Be quiet for a bit, Wy. He's on edge.
Wyatt's eyes cut over at our eldest brother, who'd turned to face Emerson and resume his questions while ignoring the rest of us.
"What did the luna do that made you think she was crazy?"
"For one," Emerson began, "she carried around a doll and called it her pup. For another, the way she dressed and her make up, I can't even describe it. Like a little girl who had gotten into her mother's closet or something. And then, the thing that made me light out of there—"
He swallowed hard and glanced at Angelo before looking back at Mase.
"She, uh, she assaulted me."
"You know I need more details, Em."
"She tried to—" His face paled and two bright spots of red bloomed on his cheeks.
"Oh, orsacchiotto (teddy bear)," Angelo crooned and pulled him into a hug, tucking his mate's face into his neck. "I'm here. You're safe."
"She tried to touch me," Emerson muttered against Angelo's throat. "You know what I mean. She said I had to prove I was gay. I wanted to break her neck, but the alpha was there with his beta and gamma. I was a big, strong kid, but I wouldn't have stood a chance against all three of them."
"What did the alpha do during all this? Watch?" I asked, feeling as disgusted as Emerson must have.
"Yeah. It was surreal. They all stood there and watched." Emerson leaned more into Angelo's embrace and put his arms around his mate's waist. "I grabbed my backpack and ran out of there as fast as my legs could take me. I ran all day and into the night and didn't stop until I couldn't run anymore."
"How old were you?" Angelo asked with gritted teeth.
"Seventeen. I'd been on my own for about a year and a half, and I'd seen some strange and scary stuff, but nothing like that."
As Angelo rubbed Emerson's back and murmured sweet reassurances in his ear, we all saw the homicidal glint in the eyes of the Angel of Death. The Cold Moon luna was as good as dead.
"I need to report to the king first," Mase said as he met Angelo's glare. "He needs to know what else has happened in the past three years. Once King Julian gives his orders, I'll go with you."
And that was good enough for Angelo, apparently, because he gave Mase a curt nod.
"We need to call him anyway about the other alpha and luna issue we have," Jay reminded us, jerking his chin at Thoreau, whose eyes were fogged over as he linked someone.
Most likely Arch and Wayne, I thought and wondered what he had in common with them other than a love of dirt bikes.
"And he might want to know we found a fox shifter," Ash added, drawing my attention away from Thoreau.
Speaking of, we heard murmurs and footsteps coming up the basement stairs, and Maria bounced in her seat, clapping her hands with excitement.
So much like Posy, I linked my brothers, who hummed or smiled in agreement.
"Poppy!" Thoreau shouted and ran to the door.
Before the rest of us could even see her, he had her engulfed in a bear hug.
"Reau, come sit down and mind your manners," Angelo told him in a soft tone. "You've already met her and none of us have."
"But I just like her so much," he whined, but did as Angelo said.
"Everyone, this is my mate, Poppy Torres," Leo introduced the dark-haired beauty, then went around the room and told her all of our names.
"It's a pleasure," she nodded her head with a little smile. "Thank you for saving my life."
"You're welcome," I spoke on behalf of my brothers. "Would you mind telling us how you ended up being chased by a pack of dire wolves?"
"Well, I am a foxy lady, you know," she said with a flippant grin.
"Oh, my Goddess, another Wyatt," Mase muttered and covered half his face with one hand.
"Watch out, alphas," Leo said with a smirk. "She's got her sassy pants on."
"Oh, honey, all my pants are sassy," she shot back.
"Nuh-uh," Thoreau protested. "Those are my pants and they're not sassy. They're plaid. I wouldn't wear sassy pants!"
Maria, Dad, Ash and Wyatt burst out laughing while the rest of us chuckled. The kid looked around in confusion, and I leaned over and ruffled his curls.
"Reau, do you know what sassy means?" I asked with a tiny smile.
"No."
"Good," Emerson told him. "You don't need any sass."
"The wound on your paw— Well, I guess your hand," Angelo said. "Is it healed?"
"It will be by tomorrow." Poppy held up her arm to show the angry-looking red skin covering her left hand up to her wrist.
"Let me do it now, please," he said and went to her. "No reason to be in pain that long."
When she nodded, he touched his fingers to hers and a golden halo surrounded her hand for several seconds. After it faded, it looked normal. She flexed her fingers, then grinned at him.
"Thank you!" she chirped.
Angelo nodded and sat back down next to Emerson.
"You said those mutts didn't do it?" Leo prompted her to begin her story.
"I chewed my paw off to escape a prison."
All of us stared at her dumbly as we unpacked that sentence. Papa was the first to open his mouth to begin the questions, but she held up one hand.
"About two weeks ago, I was minding my own business, just trotting through the forest, when I was shot with a tranquilizer dart," she said. "I woke up in a concrete and brick room with one leg in a shackle that was anchored to the wall. Several other shifters and creatures were in the same situation."
She went on to explain that men fed and watered them and cleaned up the room once a day, but did not communicate with her or any of the other prisoners. They didn't even talk among themselves. She was fairly sure they were human, as she did not sense them being shifters nor having magic ability.
"Four days ago, two new men came to "inspect" us," she continued, "and it was easy to tell that the one man was in charge of whatever was happening there. The other seemed to be a personal assistant. As they walked past me, Richard - what I called the head honcho in my mind - asked his assistant how soon the lab would be ready because he wanted these abominations eradicated as soon as possible."
Instead of breaking down in tears as some would, Poppy lifted her chin and her eyes were fierce.
"I don't know how it is with any other witch, as I've never met any before you, Maria, but I can't use my magic in fox form. That night, I chewed my paw off enough to slip out of the shackle, snuck out of the window, and ran. I ran for three days. I don't know if the dire wolves were sent by Richard, or if they picked up my trail on their own. However, I do know the Goddess was guiding my steps: as soon as I crossed into your territory, I sensed my mate."
Here she stopped and smiled up at Leo, whose eyes burned with rage. When he noticed her looking at him, though, he bent down and kissed her forehead.
"The rest you know," she finished and snuggled into Leo's chest as his arms went around her shoulders.
As usual, Mase took charge. Not that I was complaining. I was still digesting her story.
"Dad, will you and Papa go with Wyatt and Ash to interrogate our prisoner?" Mase asked, and I think we were all surprised he'd included Papa. "Cole and I need to call King Julian about Cold Moon and Gray Shadows and can inform him about this at the same time, but I would like to know if those dires were from the prison or a stray pack."
"I think we all know the answer," Wyatt said with a frown, "but we'll find out for sure."
"What do you want me to do, Mase?" Jay asked.
"Poppy, can you give us a general sense of where this prison was?"
"If you have a map, I can mark what I remember," she offered.
"Jay, work with her on that, please," Mase directed, "then go home to Posy so the betas can collect their mates."
