Love, Always, Promise [Wolf Creek Pack 5] (5 page)

“To redecorate me house?”

“To be your mate.”

Jace’s mouth dropped open as he gapped at the woman. His father found a woman, a stranger, and moved her into his house to be his mate? Jace didn’t know why he was surprised but he was.

“I already have a mate, thank you,” Jace replied. “I don’t need another one.”

“You have a mate?” the woman shrieked. “I was told I would be your mate. That you would be alpha and I would be the alpha’s mate.”

Jace chuckled, not feeling the least bit sorry for the woman. She was a gold digger. Jace could see it in her fancy silk dress and the diamonds glittering on her throat. “You were told wrong.”

“Well,” the woman snipped as she pulled her cell phone out of her small clutch purse, “we’ll just have to see about that, won’t we?”

Jace pointed towards the front door. “You can see about it somewhere else. I want you to leave.”

“Oh! Well, I never!” The woman stormed towards the front door, the other woman fast on her heels. Susanna paused at the front door to glare back at Jace. “Your father will hear about this, and how do you think he will feel about you ignoring a direct order from your alpha?”

Jace smirked. “I don’t really give a shit!”

Jace took great satisfaction in shutting the door on Susanna. He made sure to lock it afterwards, too. He still shook his head as he made his way upstairs to his bedroom. He was almost to the top of the stairs when a loud pounding came from the front door.

Jace rolled his eyes and walked back down the stairs. He prepared himself to tell Susanna to leave again when he opened the door to find his brother, Robert, standing there.

Jace tensed. “Robert.” The last time he saw his brother was at the sharp end of a silver knife.

“I see you found your way home,” Robert said, his eyes roaming up and down Jace. “And no lasting effects.”

“What do you want, Robert?” Jace asked, refusing to move from in front of the door. “Have you come to try and kill me again?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Robert snapped as he pushed his way past Jace and walked into the house. “I came to warn you.”

Jace closed the door and followed his brother into the living room. He seriously doubted his brother wanted to warn him about anything. He would more likely to stab Jace in the back than anything.

He stopped at the entrance of the living room and watched Robert pace around. His brother seemed to move from one spot to another, lifting a vase here, a statue there. He seemed to be procrastinating.

“What do you want, Robert?”

“I came to warn you.”

“You said that already,” Jace replied. “Came to warn me about what?”

“Father has chosen a bride for you.”

“Yes, I’ve met her.”

Robert glanced up, surprise showing on his face. “She’s here already?”

“She was. I asked her to leave.”

Robert frowned. “Why? Father handpicked her for you. She has good breeding, comes from a large pack. She will be able to provide you with as many cubs as you choose.”

“And she’s not bad to look at either, is she?”

Robert’s face flushed, and Jace suddenly knew why his brother came to warn him. It wasn’t because his brother cared about what happened to him. Robert wanted Susanna for himself.

Jace chuckled. The situation seemed just too funny to him. His brother wanted exactly what Jace didn’t want. As far as Jace was concerned, Robert could have it, all of it.

“I’m leaving, Robert,” Jace said. “I just have to pack my stuff and then I’m gone.”

“Leaving?” Robert echoed,

“Yes, I’m stepping down from my position in the pack and leaving for good. I won’t be coming back.”

“But…but, you’re supposed to be the next alpha,” Robert said. “You’ve always been next in line for alpha.”

Jace shrugged. “I don’t want it. I never did. That was always father’s thing. You can have it as far as I’m concerned.”

“You can have her, too.”

“You don’t want Susanna?” Robert said it in such a way that Jace knew his brother couldn’t fathom the idea.

“Robert, I don’t want Susanna. I don’t want any woman that father picks out for me. In fact, I don’t want a woman at all. I prefer men.”

The horror in Robert’s voice made Jace roll his eyes. He really hoped that Joe’s pack was as accepting as he said they were because Jace’s pack would never accept Ethan and him being together.

“Yes, Robert, I’m gay,” Jace said. “Not only am I gay, but I’m happily gay. I’d no more take Susanna as my mate than I would cut off my arm.”

“That’s disgusting,” Robert shouted. Jace tensed once again as Robert took a step towards him. “I should have killed you when I had the chance.”

“I would have thought you’d be thrilled with the idea, Robert. You can have Susanna and the position as next in line for alpha. Isn’t that what you always wanted?”

“You’re going to shame us!” Robert shouted as he advanced on Jace.

Jace held his hands up in front of him, trying to ward Robert off. He didn’t think it would work, though. Robert’s face reddened with rage, and his eyes glittered with what Jace could only see as insanity. Robert had lost it.

“Robert,” Jace said. He’d prefer to avoid a confrontation with his brother again. The last one cost Jace more than he wanted to think about right now. “I’m leaving for good. I’m not going to shame anyone. You can have it all.”

Robert didn’t seem to be listening to Jace’s words. Jace braced himself as his brother jumped across the space between them. Jace narrowly missed being hit by the fists Robert aimed at his head. Jace jumped back, sweeping his leg out to trip Robert as he did. Robert fell forward, his chin connecting with Jace’s leg. He grabbed out at Jace as he started to fall.

“What the hell is going on in here!” a voice shouted from behind Jace. He twirled around, fists ready to continue the fight with whoever stood behind him until he spotted his father.

“Robert!” his father shouted. “I demand an explanation.”

Robert climbed to his feet and pointed toward Jace. “He’s gay, father.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Arthur Dominick replied. “He’s next in line for alpha. He can’t be gay.”

“It’s true,” Robert said. “Ask him.”

“Robert!” Arthur shouted. “I am not going to put shame on your brother like that. Everyone knows you can’t be gay and be an alpha, and your brother is going to be the next alpha.”

“Uh, no, I’m not,” Jace said.

Jace could see the surprise on his father’s face when the man turned to look at him. He held his ground, refusing to be intimidated by the alpha. Jace spent all of his life doing his father’s bidding. He wasn’t doing it a moment longer.

“I’m stepping down from my position as next in line for alpha and I’m leaving, father.”

“That’s out of the question,” Arthur said. “You’ve been trained to be alpha your entire life. There is no one else that can take your place. I even arranged for Susanna to be here.” Arthur wagged his finger at Jace. “And I don’t appreciate how you treated her. I realize I should have said something to you before I moved her into your house, but I expect you to be nicer to her when she comes back.”

“Father, she’s not coming back,” Jace said.

“Of course she is,” Arthur said. “It might cost you some pretty little piece of jewelry to apologize to her for your behavior, but women like things like that. She’ll forgive you soon enough once she moves in.”

“Father!” Jace said a little louder. “You’re not listening to me. Susanna is not coming back.”

“She will be living in this house the moment her stuff arrives!”

Jace snorted. He just wasn’t getting through to his father. He doubted anything he said ever would. His father was a stubborn man that only listened to what he felt was important.

“She’s more than welcome to live here.”

Arthur smiled. “That’s more like it. I knew you’d understand.”

“After I leave.”

“Don’t get that into your head again, JD,” Arthur said, waving his hand at Jace. “You’re not leaving.”

“Yes, I am. I’m done, father. I don’t want to be alpha. I never wanted to be alpha. That’s what you’ve always wanted. I’ve found what I want, and it’s time for me to go get it.”

“I refuse to listen to this,” Arthur said, not surprising Jace. “You will do as I say, and that’s the end of it. I’ve conveyed your apologies to Susanna, and she should be returning in a few days. I expect you to behave when she does. She will be your mate.”

Jace tightened his lips to keep from shouting at his father. No matter what he said, Arthur would just hear what he wanted to hear and nothing else. Nothing he said would make a difference. Jace knew the only way his father would understand would be when he was finally gone.

“Come along, Robert,” Arthur said. “We need to discuss your behavior. I think maybe I have been too lenient with you. You must understand that your brother has been chosen to be the next alpha, not you.”

Jace tuned his father out at that point. His father didn’t say anything he hadn’t said in the past. He watched as Robert followed their father out the door, shooting Jace a deep glare filled with hatred.

The moment the door closed behind them, Jace leaned back against it and took several deep breaths. His nerves were fried. Thinking about it, Jace realized that his nerves were always fried after dealing with his father.

Jace chuckled and pushed himself away from the door. He headed back upstairs to start packing. He couldn’t wait to be out of here and back with Ethan. Just the thought made him move a little faster until he nearly ran up the stairs.

His mate was waiting.

* * * *

Jace shut off the engine to his truck and stared at the house in front of him. He couldn’t believe he was finally here. It seemed to take forever, but here he sat. Everything he owned sat in the back of his truck and the horse trailer behind that.

The decision to leave his pack and move to Wolf Creek had been the easy part. He knew he made the right decision even before he left. Ethan was his mate, and he needed to do everything within his power to hold on to him.

His decision had only been reinforced when he arrived back home to find his father had picked out a bride for him and moved her into his house without permission. Jace disliked the woman on sight. He hated her after her first word. She was a bitch.

He knew she could be considered gorgeous as far as women went, but to him, she held no appeal. She wasn’t Ethan. Besides that, she seemed power hungry. She flirted with any man with clout, and Jace knew that if he married her, she would have been unfaithful within a week of their marriage.

He still wasn’t sure if she slept with his father or not, but he wouldn’t be surprised. Maybe she should have considered marrying his father instead of him. His father was a widower, so that shouldn’t be a problem, and Jace certainly wasn’t going to marry her.

He took one look at Susanna and knew that his life was no longer with his birth pack. His life was with Ethan.

It took him another six weeks to get all of his affairs in order, sell his house, and pack up everything he owned to move down here. He didn’t call ahead because he wanted it to be a surprise, although he was pretty sure that Nate knew he would be back.

Now he needed find a new place to live, preferably some place that would take his two horses, then find his mate and move him in. Then, if Ethan didn’t try to take his head off for being such an asshole, he needed to get to know his new mate.

Jace couldn’t help but chuckle as he climbed from his truck and walked toward the house. He had so much to learn about Ethan, but he hoped the man was as feisty as Nate. Just the thought of Ethan standing up to him and giving him as much shit as Nate gave Joe made Jace harder than a rock.

Climbing up the steps, he reached down and readjusted himself, sighing deeply before knocking on the door. He couldn’t wait to see the look on Joe’s face when he found out that Jace was here, lock, stock, and horse trailer.

He could hear voices coming from inside of the house as he waited for someone to answer, feeling almost giddy as he waited. A huge grin covered Jace’s face when the door opened. He winked when he saw the stunned look on Joe’s face.

“JD, what are you doing here?”

“Jace, please, and,” Jace said as he pointed over his shoulder to his truck parked in the driveway, “I made my decision.”

“Oh, Jace, uh, hey,” Joe stammered.

“Can I come in?” Jace asked. Confusion filled him at the shocked look on Joe’s face. What the hell was going on? Why was Joe acting so strange? And why wouldn’t he let Jace into the house?

“Now really isn’t a good time, Jace. Maybe we can have lunch or something—”

“Hey, Joe, Nate said we had company,” said a voice from behind Joe.

Jace watched as Joe dropped his head down for a moment then stood back. He took a step into the room, his eyes going to the small figure across the room. His breath caught in his throat, his heart thudding quickly in his chest at the sight before him.

It was his Ethan, but he looked different somehow, smaller, like he lost weight. He also supported himself with two titanium forearm crutches on either side of his body. But the look of shock in his baby blue eyes drew Jace the most.

“Jace,” Ethan whispered reverently, the edges of his lips starting to turn up. Jace could smell the instant arousal fill the room the moment Ethan’s eyes landed on him. Ethan suddenly dropped his eyes, the smell of fear overwhelming the scent of arousal as he turned away.

“Please, excuse me,” he whispered almost silently as he walked away.

Jace took a step in his direction only to be stopped by a hand on his arm. He looked down to see Joe holding him back. “Joe, let go of me. I need to go see Ethan.”

“No, you need to sit down and listen to me. Ethan has been through enough already. He doesn’t need you adding to his problems,” Joe said sternly.

Jace looked at him in confusion. “What are you talking about? What happened to Ethan, Joe?”

“Come sit down, Jace.”

“I don’t want to sit down, damn it,” Jace yelled as he tried to pull away from Joe. “I want to know what happened to my mate.”