Force of the Dark Wolf (Force of Nature Series) (25 page)

“Alexis said I could let you know what she’s done.”
He looked around again.
“Christ
,
she’s amazing.”

Austin grinned.
“You should know that we are already in agreement with you there.
She’s your mate so she already has our support. If she can twist you up like this
,
then she has another point in her favor.”

Gordon knew what his brother was doing. He was trying to make it easier on him and whatever he thought he needed to tell them.
He wasn’t worried that they’d hurt his mate
. T
hey wouldn’t do that
,
but they might ask them to leave, which he really couldn’t blame them for once they heard what he had.

“Alexis has known for a while that she is different.
Hell, not just different
,
but fucking different.”
He took a deep breath before starting over.
“She saved me
,
as you know
,
but she also healed her niece.
She can…she can heal people.
Not just heal them
,
but nearly bring them back from the dead heal them. ”

“We know that
,
buddy.
When she saved you, you were all but dead.
So what is it you think we don’t know
?
” Connor asked him.
“Has Phil told you anything more about what he thinks she is?
Is that it, you know what she is and you
’
r
e
afraid we’ll reject her for it?”

Gordon knew his brother was smart and he smiled when he got it so quickly.
“No.
He’s still not talking to me.
But I’m working on something that will hopefully get me on his better side.
At least
,
I hope it does.
And I’m not afraid you’re going to reject her
,
but she is.
And I’m having a hard time trying to convince her of it.”

“Of course she would.
She hasn’t had a great deal of reason to trust any of us so far
,
but we’re working on that.
She’s a hell of a woman.”
Austin frowned before he continued.
“Is she worried that we’re going to put her brother-in-law down?
The
council
has already said he must die.
Once a were kills, especially the way that Patrick did
,
they feel there is no redeeming hope for them.
I’m working on trying to get him a stay
,
but you know how they can be.”

Yes, he did know.
And Gordon hated to admit it
,
but he felt that after what he’d done to his ex-wife and daughter
,
Gordon didn’t want him around either.
He’d be up to something all the time and he’d be a shadow in their lives.

“No. I think that bothers her as much as it worries her.
She wants both men out of her life.
And the children’s.
She has custody of them, did I mention that?”
He got up to go to the bar again and decided he didn’t need it.
“I love those kids as much as if they were my own.
I can’t let him hurt them again.
Not ever.
I have to do everything in my power to protect them.
But she…”

“She what
?
” Austin asked.
“She won’t let you?
She doesn’t trust you?”
Gordon nodded
,
agreeing to all the questions.
“I see.
Then we’ll just have to show her what we can do.”

He knew that they’d help him
,
but that wasn’t the problem.
The problem was he wanted to show her he could do it.
But he knew that with what was going on
,
he’d more than likely end up getting someone killed or hurt and he didn’t want that either. He knew them all well enough to know that they’d have a million questions
,
but they’d think them out.
They were all alphas, had been born that way.
Someday they’d all lead their own pack
s
and this was what would make them great leaders.

“So you’re saying that she doesn’t want your help or that she is telling you to fuck off?”
Gordon nodded at Dallas’ question.
“Oh
,
I like this one.
She can not only twist you up
,
but make you question your manliness too.
Yeah, I really like her.”

“Fuck you.
And that’s not all. The healing thing?
She can control when her touch is needed and how she is to use it
,
but if she heals a person, that person has a small bit of her.
Not a lot
,
just enough to heal them and maybe, and it doesn’t happen often, maybe they can heal something too.
But it will be on a very small scale.
Like a plant or maybe a scratch.”
Gordon showed them the cut on his leg.
“If you guys would have looked
,
she told me you would have seen the same cut on her leg.”

Austin suddenly looked up.
“Did she tell you what she took from you?”

She had.
That’s what he’d been thinking about all this time. What he’d given her and what…and what she’d given him.
He started to pace again
,
knowing that this was going to be the turning point.
His race just didn’t like what his mate was.

“She is my mate
,
but I’m hers as well.
When we mated and bonded…well, it was a two
-
way thing.
I’m not sure I understand all of it
,
but basically
,
we’re now a part of each other.”
He rolled his neck and didn’t look at his brother as he continued.
“She can shift into a wolf. She can shift into anything she wants.
Alexis is a shifter.”

Austin was very quiet.
Gordon didn’t look at him as he walked to the desk and leaned against it.
He was actually excited
,
but also afraid. Wolf packs generally
dis
like
d
shifters for several reasons.
The most important reason was that they somehow messed with the balance of things.
Gordon wasn’t sure
how,
but he’d been hearing that since he’d been a small cub.

Austin nodded.
“Let me get this straight.
You think…or she thinks that because she’s a shifter
,
we’re somehow going to shun you and her?
Am I right?”
Gordon nodded
,
knowing that it sounded really stupid now that someone had said it out loud.
“Of all the…and what did you tell her?
That it was a part of our history to do that or did she read about it in some stupid fairy tale book?”

“Book.
But she’s right.
We do shun shifters and any weres that mate with them. I’ve heard—
”

“Oh for the love of…are you listening to yourself
?
Shun her?
Christ, do you have any idea what CJ would do to you if she even had a hint of what you were thinking
?
You’d better not tell her what we’ve talked about.
She’ll run your nuts up the flag pole and set fire to them.
Christ.”
Austin grinned.
“I just might tell her to see what you’ll do to try and win her back to your side.”

Every man in the room held himself. CJ could be a tad
vicious
and since she’d been pregnant she’d been a little more aggressive.
Their mom said it was natural, she was an alpha.
Gordon grimaced at his brother
,
wondering what he’d have to do to keep him from telling her.

“You keep my secret and I’ll keep yours.”
Gordon didn’t really know anything
,
but the threat seemed to work. Before his brother figured out he was bluffing
,
he’d have to think hard on something worthy of not getting castrated.
Gordon was sure he could think of something
,
but right now he was a little busy trying to keep his new family safe.

Austin backed away from him and sat down.
He didn’t comment on the threat
,
but simply nodded toward him.
Gordon moved over to the chair again and sat down.
He was sure his brother would talk to him later about it.

“Have you talked to Phil?”

Gordon shook his head
,
knowing his brother was trying to change the subject.

“I want this resolved between the two of you by the next full moon.
You fucked up and you’re going to do whatever it takes to fix this. He’s a good friend to our pack and CJ is upset that he won’t come around.”

Gordon nodded.
“I will. I’ve been…he won’t answer my calls.
I’ve left him several messages and
—”

“Then go to his house.
Fix this
,
Gordon
,
or I will fix you.
Do you understand me? I want this resolved.
Now.”
Austin stood.
“Now
,
as for you and your mate…I’m sure you expect me to be pissy or something
,
but I’m not.
I’m actually thrilled for you both.
I can’t wait to see her wolf.
Has she shifted into one yet?”

“Yes, she’s silver. She’s sort of afraid of her
,
though.
She’s never shifted to wolf before.
And she’s a little overwhelmed by this all.
Well, there is the brother-in-law thing. I’ve told her that he’s hanging around her place.
I don’t think she is taking this part of him serious.
She seems to think she can handle him.”