Pack magic, p.7
Pack Magic, page 7
His smile faded. “I have a week before my life goes to hell in a handbasket. I’m going to fucking enjoy every goddamn minute of it that I can. And that means staying the hell away from my father. And since I really don’t have anywhere else to go, I opted to go where my libido wants me.”
“So, you lead with your dick?”
He blinked and his mouth dropped open as if he couldn’t believe I actually said that out loud.
The door opened. “Her brother will kick your ass if you step in this house,” Phillip said softly so his words couldn’t be overheard. He reached for the bags, taking them from Logan with no resistance.
“I don’t know where else to go.” Logan looked at me.
“There’s a library over that way. And a movie theater on the other side of town.” I stepped into the house and started to close the door.
Logan stuck his foot against the base of the door, stopping it. “You burned the shit out of my foot last night, and I made sure the forest didn’t burn down after you took off. Give me a break and let me come in.”
“This is going to start some fucked-up rumors.” I opened the door.
“There are already some fucked-up rumors in this town.” He stepped inside and closed the door behind him.
William stepped out from behind the wall leading to the kitchen. His eyes held a feral anger, and his fists clenched at his side. “You let him in after what he did to you?” His question was aimed at me, but his gaze was still locked on Logan.
“Yes. I did. Besides, I’ve only got a little bit before I need to get back to the diner for the night shift.” I kept my back to Logan. “So, his stay here will be minimal.”
“Why did you bring four meals?” He narrowed his eyes. “And four pies?”
“Maddy thought you might like an extra meal and a little extra pie.”
He blinked, and his gaze dropped to mine. “It’s not for him?”
“God no.” I walked to the kitchen, leaving Logan in the hall with my brother, curious as to whether William would actually take a swing at Logan.
The sound of flesh on flesh came down the hall and then William appeared, walking backward, actually pushed by Logan, who had one of William’s fists in each hand.
“I appreciate your anger. If I had a sister like yours and someone did what I had, I’d want to kick his ass, too.” He shoved William back. “But I’m still an alpha, so you better know your place.” He pointed at my brother.
William shifted and growled.
Logan took a surprised step backward into the wall behind him.
“Stand down, Will,” I commanded.
He turned toward me with a feral growl.
“You look a little like Dad, in case you’re wondering.”
That’s all it took for him to shift back. “I’ve got golden tips?”
The arch of his eyebrows made me smile.
“No golden tips,” I said, and his face fell. I waved a hand, covering his naked form in clothing. “But your coat is more like the ebony of Dad’s, and you’re bigger than you were before.” My father’s coat beneath the golden tips had been the same color as William’s crop of hair. And up until I revived him, William’s coat had been more of a gray than the midnight-black he was now.
“That’s not the wolf I fought.” Logan pointed at William.
I focused on the unwanted guest in the house. “Trust me, it is. This is what happens to wolves who are resurrected by phoenix tears.”
His gaze seemed to bounce between two spots on the floor and then he looked at me. “Your father had gold-tipped fur?”
I pointed to a family photo hanging on the wall. My father, in his massive glory, sat towering over my mother, William, and me. The sun highlighted both the gold and the sleek blackness of his fur. Next to the one of him in wolf form was one of him in human form with us. I loved those photos as much as my mother had. Her smile gave her face a radiant glow and the one with my dad in human form had them looking at each other. The depth of their love seared into the film, giving us a true gift to treasure.
Phillip had insisted on the photos. He wanted to record her strength and beauty before the disease stripped everything from her. I can hear their argument as if it were yesterday, and it wasn’t until my father requested that they do it did she bend. The next day, she seemed as if she were walking on air and her smile was enough to wipe the fear from all our hearts. It made us think she could possibly beat the disease. But that smile wasn’t enough. My parents’ love wasn’t either, and a few months later, she died with my father’s hand in hers, and all of us around the bed.
Tears gathered in the corner of my eyes and my heart squeezed. Logan’s hand landed on my shoulder, and his warmth filled me.
“You don’t get to console her.” William pushed him away and pulled me into a hug. Our sibling connection had broadcast my melancholy to William as well as to my mate.
I scrubbed my face with my hands and turned away, taking my takeout box and sliding it into the refrigerator. After the late breakfast I ate, I wasn’t hungry, and I certainly wasn’t going to sit down and pig out in front of Logan.
“The apple crisp is mine.” I pointed at William and then glanced at Phillip. “I’ll eat after my shift. I’m still full from your delicious breakfast.” And then I looked at Logan. “You need to go, because I’m heading to the diner for a night shift.”
“You’re really working at a diner?”
“Yes. Why? Is that beneath an alpha, to help one of her pack members when they’re in a jam?” I headed to the door, but not before I caught both William’s and Phillip’s smirk as they dug into their food.
Logan hurried out the door with me, correctly sensing that he wasn’t welcome to hang out at my house with them. “I’m just surprised.” He fell into step beside me.
“Didn’t you have a job back home?”
“I filed legal papers and before that, I served papers to people.”
“So, you’ve never gotten your hands dirty with anything before?”
His brow creased.
“White collar versus blue collar?”
“I have the alpha gene—I didn’t have to do menial tasks. We had submissives in the pack for that.”
I swear, if he had long hair, he would have flipped it over his shoulder like a true diva. “Well, if you want to avoid your father, I have something for you to do tonight that will keep you busy.”
“I’m not waiting on tables.” He crossed his arms and glared down at me.
“I promise. You won’t be waiting on tables.”
When we walked into the back of the restaurant together, Maddy looked up from her office desk where she was eating her dinner. Her eyebrows arched as we approached. I took an apron and put it on over my head and made sure it had order pads and a pencil in the pocket before I led Logan to the dishwashing machine and handed him one of the vinyl aprons.
“You’ll be doing dishes tonight.”
“The fuck I will,” he snarled at me and eyed the machine.
The kid behind it stared at the two of us.
“Fine. Then go right on home and spend a lovely evening with your father.” I planted my hands on my hips, jutting my chin out at him in a silent dare.
His nose crinkled in a silent growl and then he put on the apron like a child who was commanded to do a chore he didn’t want to do. “I don’t know how to use it,” he complained as he tied off the strings in back of him.
“That’s okay. Matthew here will show you what to do before he finishes his shift. Isn’t that right, Matthew?”
“Sure,” the kid said, still looking at us with a world of curiosity in his eyes.
I poked Logan in the chest. “And don’t you dare pull the alpha card in here. Understand?”
He gave me a curt nod and then stepped behind the arm of the industrial washer. Matthew started going over how to use the machine.
I crossed to head out to the front.
“May I have a word?” Maddy said from her office door.
I followed her inside, and she closed the door with a warm smile directed at Matthew and Logan. The minute the door closed, she spun on me.
“This is my place of business. You don’t drag in someone off the street to work here without my permission.”
“He wants to avoid his father at all costs, and I figured a night doing dishes would humble him a little.”
“I can’t pay him.”
“I’ll just tell him tonight is pro bono.” I smiled.
Her eyes narrowed at me, and she crossed her arms. “What’s going on?”
Maddy had been my father’s confidant since he was a pup, and she knew far more about my family than anyone else in this town.
I let out a nervous laugh and looked at the door. “Fate has a twisted sense of humor these days.” I met her gaze.
Her eyelids fluttered, then went wide. “No.” She pointed at the door. “He’s...” Then she wiped her face and let out a whooping laugh. “Ain’t that the short end of the fucking stick.” When she wound down, she looked at me. “I’ll make sure he has a busy night. Go do your job.”
I tied my hair up in a messy bun, securing it in place with an elastic, and then headed out to the floor with a quick glance at Logan. He was engrossed in Matthew’s instructions but flashed a quick glare at me before returning his attention to his young teacher.
The night was busy, but then again, Thursday nights in the fall were high school football nights and our team won, so the place was packed with rowdy teenagers and their proud parents. I did get a few looks from the parents, but their tips weren’t lacking. If anything, they seemed a little more than generous.
I wasn’t complaining. It would help Maddy to have a little extra cash.
Halfway through the dinner rush, Logan’s father came in with that angry pinched look as he scanned the crowd from a seat he took at the counter.
“What can I get you?” I kept my voice steady instead of uttering the feral growl that wanted to be released.
He looked up and nearly fell off his chair. He recovered and straightened his jacket, and his back. “Have you seen Logan?”
“Can’t say as I have. What can I get you?” I tapped the menu on the counter next to him.
“You’re a waitress?”
His snide tone made me want to burn his mouth right off his face. I just nodded. There was nothing wrong with being a waitress. No job was beneath me, especially when it helped the pack. My father taught me that, and I was immensely proud of his view on life.
“Are you going to order? Because we don’t allow loitering.”
He stood and then marched out as if I had insulted him. When the next person in line sat, I took her order with a smile.
When the rush settled down to just a couple of customers and the night sky shone through the windows, Maddy rested against the counter next to me.
“That about does it,” she said. “Thanks for your help. Nick can take over if we need more dishes done tonight.”
“How’d he do?” I hooked my thumb over my shoulder.
“He actually rolled his sleeves up and did a decent job for someone who has never worked in a restaurant before.” She glanced at me, and her smile faded. “You might actually be turning him into a decent alpha.”
I nodded. “If he wins, I want someone here who will take care of you all the way my father did. It’s important to me not to leave you all with an asshole.”
“Well, there may be promise in him.” She bumped my shoulder.
I pulled the tips from my apron and handed them to her. “Don’t just split it with the staff this time. Keep some for yourself, okay?”
She nodded and took my sizeable cash tips. “Watch your back out there.” She nodded toward the night.
“I think he’s harmless.”
“I’m not talking about him.” She nodded toward the back. “I’m pretty sure he’d tear anyone apart if they tried to hurt you.”
I rolled my eyes at her.
She ignored me and kept her eyes outside. “There’s some dark undertones right now and it’s making me...unsettled.”
That was all she had to say. Maddy had a good read on the pulse of the city, and I listened to her wisdom.
“I’ll be careful.” I crossed into the kitchen, stripping my apron.
Logan looked up from the dishwasher as he pushed another crate full of dishes into the steam. It caught and crawled into the machine and the sanitation of steamy water.
His hair dripped with sweat and steam, and his shirt clung to him in a way that lit a fire in me. His lips cocked into a partial smile, like he was privy to the naughty thoughts parading through my mind.
“You’re all set,” Maddy said from the doorway. “Thanks for your help.”
Logan gave her a nod and wiped his hands on a towel and then untied the apron, neatly hanging it on the rack before he followed me out the door. The moment the door closed in the alley and the cool night wrapped around him, Logan moaned. “God, this air feels good.” Then he grabbed me and pinned me against the wall, letting his sweat drip down on my face.
He kept me trapped with his arms. “Thank you for what you did with my father.” He closed his eyes and seemed to be inhaling my scent. “And as much as it pains me to say it, thank you for bringing me down a few pegs.” He opened his eyes and met my gaze, and then pressed his forehead against mine.
“Being a leader doesn’t make you above your people. They are always above you. Their needs supersede your own.”
He let out a laugh and straightened, giving me some space to breathe. “You sound like my grandfather.”
“I think I met your grandparents once.”
He cocked his head.
“He was in a wheelchair, right?” I pulled the elastic from my hair and uncurled the messy bun, letting my hair flow down.
He nodded.
“They came to my mother’s funeral.” I sucked in my lower lip, pulling the memory from my childhood. “I remember thinking he had kind eyes, and his wheelchair fascinated me.” I started the slow stroll home. “I asked him if he could do wheelies in his chair, and he offered me a ride on his lap so I could see for myself.”
Logan’s soft laugh pulled me from my reverie. “That would be just like my grandfather.” He glanced at me. “So, did you?”
I shook my head. Even at ten years old, I knew doing that at a funeral was not proper. “Not the right time or place,” I said. “Besides, your grandmother scolded him for suggesting such a thing.”
He kept pace with me in the direction of my house.
“You don’t have to follow me home.”
“Yes, I do. Especially after what Maddy said to you.”
My gaze snapped to his. “What?”
“I tuned myself into you. At first, it was the only way to get through the tasks I had to do with that machine.” He smiled. “That’s how I knew you insulted my father in the sweetest of ways.”
“You were eavesdropping on me?”
“Yes.” He slid his glance to me.
“You are still an asshole.” I didn’t like the idea of being spied on. I sped up my gait, but he kept pace. “It’s late and I’m hungry. Go home.” I glared at him.
“As soon as I’m sure you are safely inside your house.” He nodded toward my driveway in the distance.
“I’ve walked these streets at two in the morning. I’ll be fine.”
“I’m sure you will be, but it’s for my peace of mind that I’m walking you to your door.”
I wasn’t going to win, so I let him walk me to the door.
“Feel like grabbing a movie tomorrow?” he asked as I reached for the door.
I glanced at him. “Did you just ask me on a date?”
He shrugged and glanced at his feet, and then at me.
“No. I’m not dating the man I’m going to have to fight to the death. That’s insane. Go home now and let me have a little peace with my family for a few days.”
“So you can train?” He cocked an eyebrow at me.
“Yes. I need to be prepared for you.”
“Then train with me.”
He didn’t get it. The more time I spent with him, the less likely I’d be able to do what was necessary. “Concede.” I stared at him. That was the only way we’d ever get a shot at what he was trying so hard to cultivate.
He sighed heavily, keeping eye contact with me. “I can’t.”
“Then please leave me alone until I see you in the arena.”
He pressed his lips together and searched my gaze. Finally, he nodded and turned away, shuffling down the street like a dejected puppy. He didn’t try to force his will on me this time, and it tightened my throat.
I stepped inside, closed the door, and leaned my forehead against the wood, trying to dampen the need to run after him. Logan Blaez had successfully crawled under my skin and taken root.
I wondered, after all was said and done, whether I’d still be alive and better yet, sane.
Chapter 9
PHILLIP APPROACHED ME, HIS face tight as though he were ready to explode. “Your friend has been busy.” He growled and handed me the paper nearly crushed in his fist.
I blinked and opened the paper. The words leapt out at me like a sucker punch to the gut. I shook my head. Logan wouldn’t have done this. He didn’t have time to change the rules. But it was his name on the paper, asking for the fight to be rescheduled to tomorrow because he was back to full strength. And the stamp stating GRANTED across the paper nearly made me choke.
“This has to be a mistake.” All his confessions today rubbed my skin wrong as I stared at his signature. Tears burned my eyes and my chest squeezed as if someone dropped a car on it. I dropped the paper and headed for the sliders. If I stayed here, I’d set the house on fire.
“Erica,” William said and started after me.
“Stay,” I hissed and shifted as I sprinted out the door. With each stride, the moments we shared pummeled me. My fire licked the ground as I ran, and I pulled it in. All I needed was to start a fire that would burn the town I was compelled to protect.
I let out an aggravated growl. I wanted to just scream and let my fire go. The only place I’d be safe doing that was down in the lake on the other side of the park. It was outside of pack lands, but I knew if I swam out far enough, I could let this frustration go.
