Natural Born Enemies (Cedar River Series) (17 page)

I loved her. I had fallen for her the first time I saw her smile at me through Samson’s diner window. Our souls were connected. I had claimed her as my mate. Now, this could all fall apart. I don’t think there had ever been a single Alpha in the history of the pride, but I was prepared to be the first.

Benson Pierce, Roman’s brother, came in. “Adam, everyone is waiting outside.”

I lifted my head and cleared my throat, “I’m sorry, of course, let’s get this started. I’m going to walk up to the house and get Aunt Alicia and Luna.”

Benson opened the doors and people began to file inside. I left through the side door and began the walk to the house.

Bowie, Ana, and the rest of the Goldens were waiting on the porch. I felt the tears beginning to well up. Dammit, I’m Alpha now, there could be no tears.

Rock and Madeline McIntyre were just arriving. Luna and Aunt Alicia walked out of the house, arm in arm. Aunt Alicia smiled sadly and waved to me. I lifted my hand and thought how beautiful Luna looked. Her eyes were yellow-green today I saw as she lifted them to look at me. There was a very thoughtful expression on her face, but I knew there were many things she was just beginning to realize.

Rock met me at the porch step and shook my hand. “Adam,” was all he said. Madeline held out her arms to embrace me. I walked into her arms and allowed her to comfort me. Rock turned his attention to Alicia. “On behalf of the McIntyre pack, I want to express our condolences on the loss of your men.”

Alicia lifted her brown eyes to hold Rock’s stare. “Thank you for being here. It means a lot.” Madeline stepped up to Alicia and they both began to cry. The fear of losing a mate was one most of the mated pairs shared.

Luna hugged her parents and reached for my hand. I took that as a very good sign. With my other hand in Aunt Alicia’s, we walked to the community center, which looked like it was overflowing with people.

I took Aunt Alicia to her seat and people began to come forward to pay their respects. Bowie stood next to me.

“Did the entire town close down for the day?” I whispered to him.

The damn dragon grinned. “Roman Pierce could be a dick, but he was part of this community. Everybody loves Alicia and you, Adam, so they showed up to pay their respects.”

I glanced toward where the caskets stood, open. Everyone filed by Uncle Roman’s casket and made some gesture over the body. Most didn’t even pay Connor a glance. I did notice Ana standing there with sadness in her eyes. I nudged Bowie who merely glanced at his wife.

“Is she gonna be okay?” I asked.

“Yeah, but this really tore her up. She and Connor dated when they were in high school. It was Connor’s car I pulled her out of when she was a senior.”

I smiled. I remembered that. Bowie had sent me a letter about how pissed off he was at her and the slimeball cousin of mine she was with.

I watched as another young woman stepped up to Connor’s casket. She was trembling as she grasped the edge of the coffin. Ana stepped aside so the girl could get closer. Their heads were bowed together as Ana put her arm around her. I looked questionably at Bowie. He shrugged and made his way across the room to get his wife. Ana hugged him tight as they walked away, leaving this other woman to sob uncontrollably over my cousin’s body.

I couldn’t take any more so I walked over to the young woman. When she looked up at me with those huge brown eyes, I recognized her as Mindy Peterman. She was part of the MacIntosh pack and she had dated Connor off and on for the last couple of years.

“I wondered who you were. I didn’t recognize you, Mindy,” I said.

“I need to talk to you. After, I mean,” she said.

“Of course,” I said as I led her to sit beside Aunt Alicia. It seemed like an appropriate place for her to be.

I turned to face the room. There were people standing along the walls because there weren’t enough seats. I saw every familiar face from my town sitting there. Some sat in their seats with tears in their eyes, others stood simply stoic in their support. I was in awe at the faces I saw staring back at me. The McIntyres sat behind Aunt Alicia and Mindy Peterman. Roman had his arm around his daughter and Luna had laid her head on her father’s shoulder. Something in the vicinity of my heart jerked, hard.

As Alpha, I was my job to say words over the bodies that lay in front of the room. I took a deep breath and began my speech.

“Good afternoon. As Alpha of the Pierce Pride, I want to extend my thanks to each and every one of you who took the time to join with my family as we lay two members of our pride to rest today.”

Looks of shock rolled across the room as I declared my position of Alpha to the room. Rock McIntyre sat with a smug grin on his face as everybody else seemed taken aback by the announcement.

“I came to Cedar River at the age of sixteen. I was a pain in Uncle Roman and Aunt Alicia’s asses. Aunt Alicia won’t admit it, but Uncle Roman would. It took a lot of tough love, but if it hadn’t been done, I wouldn’t be standing here before you today. Uncle Roman was always ready to put me in my place. Until today, I thought he had absolutely despised me. Now I realize he was simply teaching me.” I fought back the tears as I continued on.

“Uncle Roman tended to push people around. What I’ve figured out is that he pushed me because he wanted me to push back. He wanted me to be tough and gentle. He wanted me to the man who could take over the Alpha position when he was unable to continue.”

Luna’s yellow eyes were filled with tears as she watched me. Her eyes followed me as I paced back and forth in front of the crowd.

“I am the man I am today because Uncle Roman and Aunt Alicia gave a damn about me.” I turned to look at the photos of Connor that hung on a board next to his coffin.

“I remember meeting Connor the day I arrived in Cedar River. He was playing football with some of the other boys in the pride. He walked up to me and hugged me tight. His first words to me were, ‘Mama says you’re gonna be my big brother.’ I have older brothers and I was determined to be the type of big brother this seven-year-old kid could look up to.” I hung my head and wiped my tears away.

My voice broke as I said out loud the words I meant to keep in my mind, “I’m sorry for failing you, buddy. I let you down.”

I kissed his cold forehead and a sob escaped my lips. I thought I had shed my tears this morning in private. I felt an arm slide around my waist and automatically reached for her. Luna stood at my side. Hand-in-hand, we walked back to our seats. Roman moved Luna’s chair so it was beside mine. At that point, I knew she’d stand with me and for me. It just may take her some time to come around to the idea.

Chapter Twenty-Nine- Luna

One by one, members of the pride and community at large came forward to share their memories or say some kind words about Roman and Connor Pierce. I smiled as Connor’s friends remembered the boy he had been instead of the man he had become.

My dad got up and I thought, Oh no, here we go.

Instead, he talked about being friends with Roman when they’d been in school together. I never knew they’d been best friends. Seeing as they were so upset about Adam and me, I thought they’d always been nasty to one another.

The older members of the crowd laughed as Dad talked about the trouble he and Roman had gotten into. They were quite the hell-raisers in their day. Their antics put some of Ana’s to shame.

Adam looked at me and squeezed my hand. I could only shrug my shoulders as Dad talked about flirting with Alicia Thomas when she and her sister had moved to town in ninth grade. He told everyone how it had pissed Roman off so badly Roman began his own pursuit of Alicia. I had never heard this story before.

“Then, a lovely Madeline MacIntosh moved to town and I lost my heart,” Dad said as he blew my mother a kiss.

Adam shared some final words and twelve men gathered at the front of the room. Alicia Pierce kissed her son’s forehead as the casket was closed. The touching moment she had with her deceased husband nearly broke my heart.

My mom took Alicia’s arm and led her out the front doors. The caskets were carried out and put in the back of the waiting Pierce Construction pick-up trucks. My dad was the one to slide Roman’s casket in and close the tailgate. Adam did the same for Connor. Dad climbed into the cab of the truck carrying Roman’s body and turned the key. Mom and Alicia climbed in beside him.

Adam turned to face me and his eyes said what he couldn’t bear to ask. I took his outstretched hand and climbed into the passenger seat of the truck that would carry Connor to his final resting place. Mindy Peterman climbed in beside me and slid her hand into mine. Whatever comfort I could give, I would.

***

The graves were dug and waiting to accept the caskets the men lowered into them. Now, I knew where Adam had been this morning. He’d driven the backhoe up to dig the graves.

No words were said. Heads were simply bowed reverently and silent prayers were lifted to the gods. One by one, hands reached for a handful of dirt to sprinkle over each casket. Bernard Golden led the group.

Most of the women had gone into Cedar River to prepare the tables and food for the incoming crowd.

Adam handed me the keys to the truck. “I’m going to take care of this. I’ll catch a ride to town with Bowie.”

I watched as Bowie tossed his jacket in the front seat of the other pick-up. Daddy and the other Goldens did the same.

Adam said, “I have to do this, baby.”

“You don’t have to, but you will because that’s the man Roman raised you to be,” I said.

“I love you, Luna,” he whispered as he lowered his lips to mine.

“I love you, too, Adam.” I noticed Mindy’s hand was still in mine as I led her to the truck.

Adam was arguing with his aunt. Alicia wanted to stay to see her husband and son buried. Adam felt she had dealt with enough just lately. He finally hung his head in defeat. He waved me on as he reluctantly gave into his aunt’s pleas.

***

The house was quiet when Mindy and I went inside. I showed her where the bathroom was so she could wash up. I went upstairs to Adam’s room to run a brush through my hair and touch up my make-up.

I returned to the downstairs to find Mindy on the sofa, crying. I sat beside her and held her while she cried.

She sniffled a little and looked at me. “I’m pregnant,” she blurted out.

I was more than a little stunned. Mindy couldn’t be more than seventeen or eighteen.

“Connor promised me that he’d marry me and take care of us.”

Oh, well, shit, I thought, though I kept the words in my head. I cleared my throat. “So, Connor knew about the baby?”

Mindy nodded, unable to speak again.

“You know Adam will help you provide for the baby, right? This baby is as much a part of this pride as Connor was.”

“Do you think so?” she said, her voice trembling. “I’m so scared, Luna.”

“I know, honey, but you know Adam’s a good man. He’ll make sure you and the baby have a place if you need it.”

“It will be easier with you as his mate though,” she said. “You’ll be here to understand and help me to adjust, won’t you?”

“Of course, I’ll be here for you, Mindy,” I said, realizing my decision had already been made.

Chapter Thirty- Adam

With all of the help, burying the caskets went quickly. It was encouraging to see the Alphas and leaders of their people getting dirty in effort to help another.

Rock tossed the keys to the truck to me.

“I’ve got to take the backhoe up to the barn,” I said.

“I’ll take it,” he said with a grin. “I’ve wanted to test drive this bad boy since Roman bought it.”

I snickered, “Just park it in front of the barn and I’ll take care of it tonight.”

Aunt Alicia and Madeline McIntyre were huddled in the truck as I climbed inside. The men who stayed behind to help, climbed into the bed of the pick-up, bundled up in their winter coats.

***

Everybody went inside to get warm before piling into the remaining cars and going into town.

Mrs. G had organized the community and was putting on a potluck dinner for us.

Mr. G cornered me as I came down the stairs. “We’re having a special meeting of the Shifters Council next week. Don’t make any decisions until then, Adam.”

I couldn’t imagine what he was implying, but he certainly had my curiosity peaked.

The house emptied out quickly. Aunt Alicia had changed her clothes and headed out with the McIntyres. Bowie and I were the only ones left in the living room.

My best friend grinned at me. “I know this isn’t what you wanted, brother, but you’re an Alpha.”

I punched him in the arm, “I never wanted this, Bowie. I sure as hell didn’t want it at this price.”

He patted my back, “I know, but Roman could never be accused of being stupid.”

I ran my fingers through my hair. “Remind me of that later, would you? Right now, I’m just worried about Luna. Will she run? I mean, she could end up being a wolf in a pride of pumas, Bowie.”

Bowie put his hands in his pockets, “If she runs, then she’s not the woman or wolf I think she is. Adam, listen to me. Luna McIntyre pursued you in high school until you couldn’t tell her ‘no’ again. When you came home, she sat back patiently and waited until you were ready for her. She’s loved you since we were in high school. If you think she’s going to run because the idea of helping lead the pride is too much for her to handle, then I think you’ve got another thing coming. Luna’s nothing if not stubborn.”

 I laughed, “That is too true. Let’s go find some of your mom’s cooking before the others devour it.”

Everyone was waiting for us when we arrived. Aunt Alicia met me at the door with a smile and a hug. Mrs. G came out from the kitchen to kiss my cheek and tell me what a good boy I was. That remark made me laugh. I hadn’t been a boy in a few years, but the laughter felt good. The day was a sad one, but we had to celebrate the lives of those we lost as well as mourn their passing.