The Gathering (6 page)

Turning in Garrett’s arms, she looked up at
him. He was handsome enough to get a girl worked up. He was
fiercely protective, just as jealous as she was, and loved with his
whole heart. He cared about others and would put his own life on
the line to see that they were safe. He’d done it for years in
Bluff’s Point. He was still doing it now, standing up for their
small wolf pack. She could see why Carmen would want him. Any woman
would.

He smiled. “What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking about how much I love you.”

His smile widened, his hands sliding up over
her ribs to rest under her breasts. “Want to show me how much?”

“I thought I did that this morning out by the
creek?”

He leaned down, nibbling on her lips as his
hands toyed with her breasts through her shirt. “You did but that
was hours ago. I need a reminder.”

Garrett lifted her shirt, pulling it over her
head before divesting her of her bra. Wet kisses were peppered
across her face and down the side of her neck before he found the
soft flesh around her nipples. His tongue lapped at her, his hands
tugging at the snap on her jeans.

A sudden knock on the door caused them both
to growl. Garrett turned and yelled, “What?”

Bryce answered saying he had news. Garrett
gave her breasts one last look before he bent and picked her shirt
up off the floor, handing it to her and walking across the room. He
waited until she was covered, then opened the door.

Bryce stood on the other side, breathless.
“There’s trouble out front.”

“What kind of trouble?”

“Carmen’s here and she’s not alone.”

Garrett darted out the bedroom door before
Rayna had time to comprehend the fact Carmen was actually outside.
When she snapped out of her frozen stare at the empty doorway, she
followed the men, having to run to keep up.

She saw Garrett rush out before she was
halfway down the stairs. The sounds of scuffling, angry voices, and
growls filled the air, and she jumped the remaining steps and
crossed the foyer.

Ethan, one of the older pack members, was
blocking the door. He was near seventy but didn’t look a day over
fifty. He was broad shouldered but thankfully, not much taller than
she was. She peeked over his shoulder and saw Bryce and Dillon
holding Garrett. Mitch stood close by, his gaze darting from
Garrett to Carmen.

Garrett’s features were shifting and Rayna
could tell he was a struggling to keep the wolf back. A glance at
the lawn and she saw why. The front yard was filled with people.
From what she could see, most of the pack was there. All of them
were staring at Carmen and the group of people standing behind her.
Two dozen of them. Almost the same number of people in their own
pack.

One face stood out in the crowd. He was on
the outer edge of Carmen’s pack, his shoulders hunched. He looked
watchful, his head darting in every direction. She caught his gaze,
saw how much he didn’t want to be there, and knew he had no choice.
He was Omega. Jacob would always be too weak to do anything other
than he was told. Giving him what she hoped was a reassuring smile,
Rayna turned her attention to Carmen. The woman was smiling, which
wasn’t a good sign.

The last time Rayna had seen Carmen, claw
marks had disfigured half her face. The flesh was now healed. Four
tiny lines, barely visible, were all that remained. Her hair was
still long, shining in the streaks of moonlight that peeked out
from behind the clouds. She was wearing jeans, the denim so tight
Rayna wondered how she even breathed and the blouse she worse left
little to the imagination. The crisscross front plunged into a
revealing neckline, her breasts nearly spilling out of the
material.

When Rayna looked at her face again, Carmen
was staring at her.

Carmen’s gaze was filled with animosity. She
blinked and turned her head to Garrett. “You’ve marked her.”

Garrett had stopped struggling. His mouth was
set in a grim, straight line. The wolf was shining through his eyes
and he was breathing heavily. “She’s the only woman worth the
honor.”

Carmen’s smile vanished. She glanced around
her, at Bryce, Dillon and the others standing at the front of the
house. “The claim is useless, you know.” She turned back to
Garrett.

“Useless against what?”

“Against this.” She pulled her shirt down to
reveal her left breast and the four claw marks still visible upon
her skin. “You marked me twelve years ago, Garrett, whether you
want to acknowledge it or not.” The pack members turned curious
glances toward Garrett and her in turn. Rayna kept her gaze focused
on Carmen. “You’re pack leader now, Garrett, and as Alpha female of
this pack, one who bears your mark, I demand my due!”

The mutterings and mumbles of the others
slowly grew and the pack started shifting on their feet. They shot
nervous glances to Carmen before looking to Garrett. Rayna wasn’t
sure what was happening but something was. And it wasn’t good.
Garrett’s face was red, his anger evident, and she knew, if Bryce
and Dillon weren’t holding him back, the smug look on Carmen’s face
wouldn’t last for very long.

Raising her hand, she placed it on Ethan’s
shoulder, pushing until he moved enough for her to slip past him.
He grabbed her arm, restraining her from moving far from the door.
“Don’t get too close, Rayna. I don’t trust her and neither should
you.”

She looked to Garrett and Bryce before seeing
Judith in the crowd. When she caught the woman’s eye, Judith
quickly crossed the porch and stopped by her side. “What the hell
is going on?”

“Nothing good.” Judith threw a nervous glance
over her shoulder before grabbing Rayna's arm. “Let’s go back
inside.”

Rayna shrugged off Judith's hand. “Not until
I find out what’s happening.”

Carmen moved closer to where Garrett stood
and looked at those around him. “I’m feeling generous tonight so
I’ll make it painless for her.” She turned to look at her and Rayna
held her gaze. “Leave Wolf’s Creek, and Garrett, and I’ll let you
live.”

A growl echoed in the silence. It was
Garrett. Rayna glanced at him before looking back at Carmen. “Sorry
to spoil your plans, but I can’t do that. I won’t do that.”

Carmen shrugged her shoulder. “It makes no
difference to me.” She smiled. “It’s your death wish, not
mine.”

“You lay one finger on her Carmen,” Garrett
growled, “and you’ll wish you’d never laid eyes on me.”

“Then tell her to leave.”

Rayna straightened her spine and lifted her
chin. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Carmen’s smile widened and her eyes
flickered. Her wolf slid to the surface and Rayna felt her own
answer. This time, it didn’t scare her when she felt it. She
welcomed the anger that came with her and the need to rip Carmen’s
hair out one shiny strand at a time.

“Then I challenge you,” Carmen said. “For
rightful place at Garrett’s side.”

The audible gasps from those watching the
scene were deafening. “Challenge me?”

“Yes. To be Garrett’s mate.”

Rayna snorted a laugh. “What are you, twelve?
Do you want me to meet you on the playground at recess?”

Carmen’s entire presence shifted then. Her
face shimmered, her wolf skating across her features. Her claws
grew, and if Rayna didn’t know any better, she could have sworn the
woman grew another five inches in height. “You’ll not think this a
joke when your blood is draining from your body, Rayna. No one will
step in to help you.”

Rayna glanced toward Garrett. He was still
watching Carmen. Turning her gaze back to the woman, she said, “So
what? You want me to fight you for him?”

“Yes.”

“This is unbelievable,” she whispered,
glancing around at the other members of the pack. No one was
smiling. She caught the eye of several of them. They all averted
their gaze, finding their shoes more interesting. Turning to
Garrett, she noticed he still hadn’t looked at her. “Garrett?”

Bryce turned his head. “Go back inside the
house, Rayna.”

Garrett’s refusal to look at her let her know
the situation was more serious than she’d thought it was.
Apparently Carmen’s threats weren’t just idle chitchat. Something
was going on and it wasn’t just Carmen’s need for putting on a
show.

When Judith grabbed her arm again, she let
the woman lead her back into the house. When they entered the
living room, the angry voices from outside grew before they were
muted. Ethan must have shut the door.

Turning to Judith, she looked the woman in
the eye. “What the hell is going on?”

* * * *

“You can’t kill her, Garrett.” Bryce lowered
his voice and eyed Carmen. “Not without making a challenge to her
first and she’s done nothing to warrant one. You’ll be no better
than Malcolm if you do.”

Garrett tried to cage his wolf but failed. A
growl rumbled in his chest and he barely got the words, “She
threatened my mate,” out before his claws extended. He closed his
eyes, concentrating on the wolf and pushed him back.

“Those marks on Carmen’s chest dispute that
claim and you know it.”

Garrett wished Bryce wasn’t right. If him and
Dillon hadn’t grabbed him when he stepped outside, Carmen would
already be dead. He still wanted her blood, the wolf clawed at his
flesh to get out, and the only thing stopping him from letting the
beast go was knowing the pack would turn on him if he did.

They’d lived in fear of Malcolm for years and
it had taken him months to gain their respect. He couldn’t loose it
now. Not when Carmen stood on the lawn with a pack of wolves behind
her. Caleb’s pack, the ones from the mine. He’d bet his life on
it.

When Carmen turned and smiled, it took
everything in him not to lunge for her. The smirk on her face told
him she’d won. Garrett had lost Rayna without so much as lifting a
finger. Either he gave up his claim on her or he’d have to force
her to leave so she could live. She was in no shape to fight. Not
with her wolf barely making her presence known. Carmen would kill
her in less than a minute and he wasn’t prepared to stand by and
watch.

“Don’t you have anything to say?”

“And what exactly do you expect me to say,
Carmen? Welcome home?”

“That would be a start.” She looked over her
shoulder before turning back to face him. “I know there aren’t
enough bedrooms for everyone but sleeping in the forest is getting
a bit old. The basement will be fine.”

Garrett laughed. “You expect me to just let
you inside the house?”

“Yes.”

“You are out of your fucking mind,” he
growled. “I want you off this property. Now!” Her laughter was
mocking, the sound of it abrading his skin to the point it felt
like bruises on his flesh.

“I can demand it,” she said. “I am still a
part of this pack whether you like it or not.”

“Try it and see how much I care if I play by
the rules.”

She shrugged her shoulder. “Doesn’t matter.
I’ll be sharing your bed before the week is out regardless.” A
glance behind her was all it took for her pack to slowly turn and
start walking away. When she turned back to face him, the smile she
gave him made his skin crawl. “Tell your little pet wolf I’ll be
waiting for her decision.”

With a final glance at the house, Carmen
turned and walked back to the forest, following the others. Garrett
watched her until she was out of sight. When she disappeared into
the darkness, Bryce and Dillon let him go.

He stared after her for long minutes, the
pack members around him doing the same. When Dillon sighed, the
others seemed to snap out of their trancelike state and turned to
face him.

“What will you do?”

Garrett didn’t have an answer. He could take
Rayna and leave the mountain but Bryce wasn’t strong enough to take
on Carmen and survive. She’d gain control of the pack within
minutes and destroy the others in the process. He couldn’t leave
them to that fate. He promised to protect them and he would, no
matter the cost.

But letting Carmen anywhere near Rayna would
never happen. He wouldn’t stand by and watch his mate killed.
Regardless of what Carmen thought, or the marks she bared, his wolf
hadn’t chosen her. A moment of carelessness and rough sex was all
those marks were proof of. He’d lost control and let the wolf slide
to the surface, slashing at her flesh before he could even
comprehend what he was doing. He could still hear her screams, hear
the laughter in her voice as she accepted a claim he didn’t
make.

He sighed and ran his hands through his hair.
The only option he had was to make Rayna leave but that wasn’t a
guarantee she’d live. Carmen would see that she didn’t. She’d sent
a wolf to Bluff’s Point to kill her once. She would do it again.
And where did that leave him? Sitting on the top of this mountain
worrying about her and having to pretend to be Carmen’s mate. He
laughed. Why the hell was his life so fucked up? He must have
really pissed off the gods in a former life for his Karma to be
such a bitch.

Turning to the house, he ignored the curious
glances thrown his way and went back inside. He followed Rayna’s
scent, finding her in the living room pacing the floor. Judith was
with her, the look on her face letting him know she was just as
worried about the outcome of all this as he was.

When Rayna noticed his presence, she stopped
and looked at him. “Since Judith refused to tell me anything I
expect you to and no half truths, either, Garrett. I want to know
what the hell just happened out there.”

He opened his mouth to answer her but
couldn’t get the words to come. What was he supposed to say? You
have to fight Carmen or die trying? Leave the mountain and forget I
ever laid eyes on you? He stared at her and didn’t know where to
begin. Anything he said would be the end of what they have. He lost
his mate the moment Carmen issued the challenge and there wasn’t
anything he could do about it.