Wolf Creek Alpha (Texas Pack 1) (34 page)

“I have no problem with hiding behind the guys.  That man still scares the crap out of me.  I don
’
t feel the need to prove myself as some she warrior, because I’
m not.  Once a chicken, always a chicken,” Lisa stated proudly.

Rafe laughed, “You’re braver than you think.  I believe
you
might
surprise yourself tomorrow.”

He was in for a disappointment, she thought.  She’d never faced anything scarier than twenty kindergartners on a field trip. 

“I think I’m more afraid for you.  You’ve said several times you would protect me with your life.  Each time you say that, I cringe.  Do you really think I’d want you to die for me?  I want you to live for me!  I can’t stand the thought of him harming you or any of the others,” Lisa said quietly. 

Rafe tugged her into his lap, holding her close to his body. 

Sheesh, what was it with this guy?  He was always pulling her onto his lap.  She wasn’t really complaining
though
, just trying to
keep her mind from what was to come
.

“Nothing will happen to me or the others.  We will take care of Ciar.  When we get back, I
’
ll claim you as my own.  You’ve already woven yourself into my heart, my life.  You are my perfect fit.  I don’t have flowery words, no pretty speech.  I’m ready to begin our lives together,” he told her. 

Once again, Lisa felt tears well up in her eyes.  “T
hat speech was pretty darn flowery, you know.”

She paused, “I’m ready to begin our lives together too.  But, why not claim me tonight?  I mean, we’re both more than ready.”

Rafe looked into her eyes, wondering if Stephanie had told her everything about mates.  Sighing, he realized he would have to tell her what Stephanie didn’t.  

“I’m not sure how much Stephanie told you so I may be repeating what you already know.  Too put it bluntly, when we mate, I bite you on your shoulder.  From what I’ve learned from the pack and my Dad,
we’ll see something like
,
umm, lights flittering around
.  Some have described it as sparkly
.
Others
say fireworks exploding.  I think some just get too poetic.  Anyway, at that moment, our souls entwine.  We will be bound together,” Rafe stopped speaking.  This was the difficult part.

“That doesn’t sound bad.  Why are you hesitating, does the bite hurt?” asked Lisa. 

“How do I put this?  You’ll find the bite extremely pleasurable when done at the correct moment,” he said staring at her.

“Correct moment?  How can there be---, oh, I get it,” Lisa said blushing.

“After the mating is complete, we’ll be bound together forever.  Should something happen to either one of us, it will feel like your soul
’
s been torn apart. 
The other will live, but from what I’ve seen and been told, it’s very difficult,” he told her somberly. 

Lisa sat thinking about what
he had
said.  “It doesn’t sound that different from some human marriages.  I know either one of my parents would have been devastated had they lost the other.  I know not all human marriages are like that, but my parents were.  I wouldn’t want any other
kind of marriage.  Sure,
it’s
hell on the survivor, but isn’t it worth it?”

Rafe sat staring at her, not saying anything more. 
Finally,
she got it.

“You don’t want to mate with me tonight.  You’re afraid something may happen to you!”
she yelled at him jumping up.

Rafe immediately grabbed her and pulled her back into his lap.  She was sitting between his legs with her back to his chest.  She felt his chest rumble when he spoke.

“
Mating is very special.  I’m not rushing through it with you.  I want to spend hours with you, not worrying
about what will happen tomorrow.  But you’re right about one thing, I don’t want you mourning me should something happen.”

Lisa squirmed trying to get him to release her.

“No, be still.  I don’t believe I’ll die tomorrow, but I can’t help but worry about you.  Should something unforeseen happen, I don’t want you torn apart if I can prevent it.”

    Amazed, Lisa replied, “You don’t think I would be devastated?  Mated or not, I will be shattered if anything happened
to you,” she told him
, twisting around to look at him.

Rafe groaned.  “That’s not what I mean.  I don’t want to make it worse than it already would be,” he explained. 

Lisa slumped against him.  All this drama, she thought.  Why couldn’t she just have a normal life? 
Nah, she didn’t mean that.  Tired of waiting, she decided it was time to proposition him.

“Okay, I can accept that.  So why can’t we just do it, you know, without the biting?  What, are you a virgin, or just morally against unmated sex?”
she asked him
mockingly.

Growling, “No, I’m not, to both questions.  I know that when I’m inside you, I won’t be able to resist biting you,” he told her bluntly. 

“How many women have you bitten?” she asked, furious now. 

“No you don’t, y
ou’re staying right here,” Rafe told her when she started her struggles again.

Lisa was doing her best trying to pull away from him.  He was too strong for her to
win.  Giving in, she slumped back against him again, huffing angrily. 

“Are you ready to hear me now?” he growled in her ear.

Lisa seriously thought about throwing her head back to bust
his nose with the back of her head.  She was pissed and frustrated now.
  She crossed her arms over her chest and gave one quick nod.

If she had turned her head, she would have seen his grin.  He loved her attitude.  If she
were mad, you
knew
it.  She didn’t do the silent treatment.

“I have never bitten another woman.  I have not been tempted to mark another woman.  I am tempted to bite you, so don’
t push me.”

Lisa relaxed against him.  She understood he had a core of steel and wasn’t going to change his mind.  She kn
ew he was doing
it
, or not doing her
,
for her own
protection,
so she decided to give him a break.

Rafe sighed as he felt her relax. 
He would
be glad when this was all over and he could claim her.  When her head tilted back against his shoulder, he wrapped his arms around her middle and held her to him.  Reaching up one hand, he tilted her face towards his to kiss her.  It was a soft kiss, just a small sample.  He rubbed his lips across hers,
and then
he
turned her head to rest against his neck. 

Lisa breathed in his scent.  He always
smelled
so good.  She found herself getting sleepy, so she closed
her eyes for a short rest.  She had shifted her legs up over his thigh, with her butt resting against his lap.

He could tell when she fell asleep.  Her breathing evened out and
it
had gotten deeper.  It had been a long
and
stress-filled
day.  He stood, heading for the stairs and his room.  Passing his brothers in the hallway, he quietly let them know they could go sleep in their own beds.
  His room was closer to his brothers, not
as far
away
as
the guest room Lisa had been in.

“She’
ll be in my room
.
If
Ciar did happen to
show up
tonight
, you’ll know,” he told them.  He knew he’d send out a howl so loud, they would come running.

Rafe entered his room, shifting Lisa so he could pull back the covers.  She mumbled as he laid her on the sheets.  Gently tugging off the sweat pants, he tossed them over to a chair.  The shirt would be harder to remove without waking
her,
but he decided it had to come off.  Shifters put out a lot of body heat and he didn’t want her moving away if she got too hot. 

Working the shirt up, he got one arm out then the other.  Lifting her head, he got it pulled off.  She opened her eyes a moment, smiled
, and
then went back to sleep.
 

“Now I know.  You’d sleep through an earthquake,” he said quietly.

Lisa didn’t hear him.  Rolling over, she hugged a pillow, oblivious to him. 

Undressing, Rafe slid into bed.  He wrestled the pillow from her for a moment before she settled down against him.  Exhaling, he closed his eyes.  Tomorrow was going to suck. 

Most everyone was up by seven the next morning.  Gathering at the dining room table, the
y
all dug in to the pancakes Mack had made. 

Once everyone finished eating, Rafe nodded to Robert for him to explain his plan of attack. 

“I’ll be taking Rafe and Dunstan with me.  Niall and
Jem
will take two persons each until everyone is there.  We’ll transport the women last, just in case there’s some unforeseen danger.  If you’ve never done this before, I’m told it can make you a little lightheaded,” Robert told them.

Rafe snorted, “That’s an understatement.”

Grinning, Robert continued.  “Or turn a wolf into a wussy.  Anyway, I thought the best place to appear would be in the dungeon. 
He wouldn’t expect us to go there.”

“That’s probably wise.  He doesn’t visit the dungeon very often,” Dunstan told them. 

Looking at Dunstan, Robert spoke.  “I’m assuming you know the castle well and can lead us to him without setting off any alarms.”

“
Yeah
, there are hidden passageways throughout the castle.  I played in them as a child. 
I can lead us directly to his ‘throne room’ as
it’s known
,” Dunstan said. 

Whispering, Lisa leaned over to Melissa. “I bet those passages are full of spiders and cobwebs.”

“Don’t you just hate that?  You know, when you feel them in your hair and you can’t shake it off?” Melissa asked her.

Both ladies realized the room had gone quiet while everyone stared at them.  They both mumbled an apology
and they ducked
their heads.  Glancing at one another, they grinned companionably. 

“Anyway, with Dunstan leading the way, the men will follow,
and
then the ladies.  I thought Rafe and Niall could bring up the rear, protecting the women from behind.  Of course, any and all webs shoul
d be swept away by then,” Robert said, winking at the ladies. 

“Once we enter the room, I expect the men to form a blockade with the women behind them,” Rafe told them.  Addressing the women, he said, “Keep your cloaks pulled over your heads.  I don’t want him knowing who’s who.”

“Lisa, you’ll need to say the spell quickly, before he has a chance to incapacitate us,” Robert said seriously.

Lisa nodded her head in understanding.  She just prayed everything went according to plan. 

“All this planning may be for naught.  I don’t know if he would know when we arrive or not.  We can’t cover every contingency, but our first priority is to stop Ciar.  If things go bad, I want Robert, Niall or
Jem
to transport the ladies back,” Rafe told them.

“What? No!  We can help.  We’re part of this plan too.  You can’t suddenly take us out of the equation. 
If things go bad like you said, we’ll be fighting just as
hard,
alongside
you all,” Lisa said adamantly. 

Growling, Rafe responded, “If you’re not there, then I don’t have to worry about you
r
safety.”

It was like watching
a tennis match.  Heads swung
back and forth between Rafe and Lisa.

“And if you get me out too soon, I can’t use the spell.  You’re going to have to suck it up and realize I’m not leaving,” Lisa told him as she crossed her arms over her chest. 

Frustrated, Rafe told her, “You’ll do exactly as I tell you once we’re there.  I mean it.  If I say move it, jump, or duck, do so without question.  Understood?”

Rolling her eyes, Lisa said, “Yes, Master
Wolf
.”

The room chuckled quietly, watching the
interchange
.

Robert spoke to Melissa and Anna, “That goes for you two also.”

Looking at each other, they
then
both
looked to Robert
, “Yes,
Master
Fae
.”

Everyone laughed except for Rafe, who stood and stomped outside to the patio.  Lisa sighed and rose to follow him.