The Pack (39 page)

     “I will see yo
u in a little bit.” Alec brushed
his lips over her f
orehead while she scowled
. He held back the la
ughter he felt knowing she did
not find the situation amusing then joined
Lucan at the door. “Later
,
Angel,
”
h
e said looking over his shoulder with a smile that would normally have melted her.

     “Not if La
ne has anything to say about it,” s
he mumbled under her breath.

     “Lane has a thing
for Kirk
in case you have not noticed
,
she has no more interest in me than I do her
,” he confided with a wink
walking out and leaving her to ponder that
new
piece of
information.

*****

   
“What was that about?” Lucan asked as they descended the stairs.

     “I asked L
ane to the bonfire
trying to make Mercy jealous
,
but now she thinks I’m in to her when in fact Lane likes Kirk and Mercy is the only girl I will ever love.”

     “If you ask me Lane might be
the perfect
recipe
for
hear
t
break
.
Kirk took
off out of here in an awful hurry this morning
and he did not look happy. Maybe if you pushed him in Lane
’
s direction they might make a match.”

     “Whose matchmaking I
want in,
” Nina said from the table as they entered the kitchen.

     “Apparently a girl at school has a thing for your brother
,
I thought maybe Alec could push them together.”

     “Would this be because Mercy is going to brea
k it o
ff with him?”

     “
I just thought if there was someone there to help him
over it
,
things
would be
easier for him,” h
e said laying his
hand over hers
.

     “It’s nice of you to care and it might be a good idea
,
b
ut if I know my brother he
won’t jump to another girl easily.” Her fingers twined with his both lost in each other forgetting Alec was even there with them.

     “Uh… m
aybe I better check in with dad,”
Alec said trying to give them privacy
.

  
  “He’s already on his way over,
”
Lucan s
aid then looked to Nina. “W
ould you go up stairs and keep an eye on Mercy
,
so she can shower and dress?”

     “I suppose this is a private conversation
,
so yes I will go now.” She stood and let his hand go reluctantly.

     “Thank you
,
I will make it up to you with a dinner out after all of th
is madness has been settled
.” The
happy
smile on her face was the only
answer
he needed
.

    
As
she,
left
Gregory walked in looking extremely unhappy. He took a seat and Alec placed coffee in front of him then joined them at the table.
“
I have spoken with
some of the other packs
around the states
.”
He
clenched his jaw looking displeased
. “Three packs have lost their prospective heirs in the last s
ix months
,
all shot with
silver
bullets laced with poison.”

     “None of their healers picked up on the Mandrake?” Alec asked.

     “We were lucky t
hat Nina picked up on it
,
but their hea
lers did not
.”

     “Someone wa
nts the heirs of our packs dead,
” Lucan said lifting his eyes to Greg
ory’s seeing the worry there.
“Why? What would they gain?
”

     “Until now no one has suspected anything odd since we have such limit
ed communication with each other.
I suspect there are others we
have
not
spoken too so I sent some of my
trusted pack members to their
Alpha
s
’
.” He loo
ked to Lucan “Call Cade
,
let him know what is happening because like it or not both of you are heirs to your father
’
s pack he could be in danger.”

      He
d
id not need to be told twice
.
Lucan
pulled his phone out of his shirt pocket and hit the send button waiting impatientl
y t
o hear his
brother’s
voice
,
but
only got his voicemail. “Damn it Cade call me when you get this message it’s urgent.” He hung up the phone and slammed his fist on the wood table. “I should never have let him go.”

     “
I’m sure he’s fine and will call you back when he can.”

   
His pack leader
’
s voice was calm and soothed him
, but
he knew he would not rest easy until he heard from Cade.
His brother and Mercy were the only family he had and he would move heaven and earth for either of them.

*****

    
“
Nina I’m fin
e you do not have to babysit me,
” Mercy said as she toweled off her hair in her
bed
room
after her shower
.
Kirks sister had been caring and attentiv
e since entering the room
,
but it made
Mercy uneasy that she was being so nice when she was going to hurt her brother
.

     “I don’t mind
,
it makes Lucan feel better to know someone is with you.” She answered from the window seat where she had taken up watch. “So are you going to break it off with Kirk this afternoon?”

     Mercy gulped unsure how to reply
,
but Nina came to her side and hugged her. “It’s alright I know he is not the one for you and although it will hurt him he will survive.”
      “You’re not mad?” She asked feeling
odd being consoled by the sister of the
person
she was going to break up with.

  
  “I’m sad for my brother
,
but I
feel that two people meant for each other should never be parted
,
even by those with the best intentions.” She took a step back and moved
towards the window once again.

     “I really like Kirk
,
but Alec he….” She bit her lip unable to express how he made her feel.

     “I
t’s too much to put into words isn’t it?
The feeling that he is part of you
, a piece that has always been missing,
that he is the only one who will ever hold your heart,
” Nina answered softly speaking more for herself than Mercy.

     “Yes,” she replied pulling
on her t-shirt before turning
to Nina
. “I’m ready let
’
s go see what the guys are up too.”

     Nina rose and joined her at the door placing a hand on her shoulder briefly. “Alec is lucky to have you.”

     “He
does not have me
yet.
I am
not dumping Kirk to run into his arms
. I just think it is unfair to keep your brother from meeting other girls when I am so clearly conflicted about my feelings.”

    
“You keep telling yourself that,
but I can see
where your heart lies and I think you do too.” She walked out of the room leaving Mercy
to gather her thoughts
before joining her in the kitchen wher
e the m
en were drinking coffee as they spoke in
hushed tones
.

    
Th
e room silenced as she entered.
A
lec came
immediately
to her side,
took her hand
,
and then
escorted her to a vacant seat. “Can I get you anything?”
he asked.

     “Unless you’re ready to ex
plain what you are all hiding
from me then no,
I’m fine.” She caught the pleading glance he gave Lucan
,
but when he turned
back,
it
was gone replaced by a
blank expression.

     “There is nothing to explain
,
we were just discussing how be
st to find our shooter,” h
e
said as he sat back down leaving
his hand on hers.

    
“Alec I have known you a long time, you’re hiding something and I intend to find out what.”
She had decided the direct approach was best
, but the hardening of his expression
had her rethinking her plan.
He was
frustrated and cl
early angry that she pushed
him for more information
,
not the reaction she wanted
.

     “Leave it alone Angel
,
all to
o
soon you’
ll know everything
,
then
you’
ll wish you never asked
.” He
stood abruptly pulling
his hand from hers
flexing it at his
side
. “I need some air.
”
He walked
outside leaving her staring after him.

     “Luc?” She glanced
t
o her brother
for help,
but he too seemed upset
by her unwillingness to let it go
.

     “
I swear when the time is right we will tell you everything.” He to stood
too,
but instead of leaving he walked to the sink and began washing dishes making no further attempt to explain.
     

      “I think I will find Alec,
” Mercy said to no one in particular
,
but before she could
move,
Gregory
placed his hand on her arm stopping her
.

     “My son cares for you very much. Do him the favor of at least believing he does all of this to protect you.”

     “I’m not six Gregory
! He needs to stop protecting me,
I can han
dle
the truth,
” s
he argued pulling her arm away and
heading out of the door.

     “I ho
pe that is true,” h
e said
,
but she was already gone

*****

    
Mercy
felt Alec’s
presenc
e immediately
upon steeping otuside
. He sat
on the steps looking off into the woods
his unhappiness mirrored in his eyes
.
Sensing his need for quiet
,
she sat next to him
,
but said nothing waiting for him to decide when he was ready to talk.

     “If I could change everything and just live in a normal world wit
h y
ou I would,” he said
.

     “
We don’t live normal lives Alec.
I can do things that are unexplainable
,
and your family and mine are in some kind of trouble that I don’t unde
rstand. N
othing about any of this is normal.
”

     “I know and I wi
sh I could tell you about it
,
but I’m so afraid that you will panic and run.” He reached his hand out and cupped her chin forcing her to look into his eyes. “There is so much in this world that you do not understand.”