Chapter Five

CHAPTER FIVE

DRAVEN

D raven watched Morgan come down the stairs, and it took all his concentration not to lose his shit at the thought of her leaving without him at her side. They were mates. He was supposed to protect her. How the fuck was he going to do that when he wasn't even with her?

Clenching and unclenching his fists, he nearly snarled when Ryder placed a hand on his shoulder. "I won't let anything happen to her."

The wolf would die for her, there was no doubt in his mind, but that was the problem—if he died, Morgan would be alone with her grief and vulnerable, and Draven had no doubt the alphas would pounce.

He shrugged off Ryder's hand and glared at the wolf. "Don't fucking do anything stupid or make a target out of yourself. Don't draw attention to yourself and don't fucking get yourself killed. Because if you die, you will leave her alone in that den of vipers and at the mercy of the alphas. You must survive and make sure she gets out of there alive. Understand?"

His brown eyes glowed amber as his wolf rose, resolve making Ryder rise to his full six-and-a-half-foot height. "I will do whatever it takes to make sure she returns. "

Draven watched him for half a beat longer…then the anxiety eating at him lessened a tiny fraction, and he clasped Ryder on the back.

Even before Morgan reached the bottom of the staircase, the rest of the team gathered in the entryway…even that fucker Caedmon. He narrowed his eyes on the elf. The man didn't do anything suspicious, but the way he looked at Morgan made the hairs on the back of his neck lift.

Possessive.

Hungry.

Longing.

The same look he saw in his own eyes before he claimed her, and he silently cursed.

Ryder glanced at him, and Draven saw the same suspicions reflected back.

Holy shit!

He whipped around to look at Caedmon again, but any emotions were wiped clean.

But Draven knew what he saw.

Draven peered at Morgan, watched the way she interacted with the elf—and straightened abruptly at what he witnessed.

Son of a bitch!

There was something in her blue eyes, a tiny spark of awareness before she managed to cover it.

He glanced once more at Ryder, a little freaked out, and the man nodded in silent communication.

The fucker knew and never said anything!!

Emotions jumbled, he could only stare…and wonder what to do.

The answer was simple—if the asshole hurt her, he would cut the fucker.

M organ squinted at Draven and Ryder, unable to figure out why they were looking at her so strangely. She glanced down, wondering if she'd somehow put her underwear over her clothes or something.

But everything appeared normal.

When she glanced back at them, they avoided her gaze, and she was suddenly suspicious of what they were plotting.

MacGregor and Mistress MacKay entered the room, their heads bent as they whispered to each other, both of them blushing and smiling like teenagers.

Well, damn!

And Morgan couldn't be any happier.

Kincade cleared his throat, and the two of them straightened, springing apart, a flush to their cheeks.

They were fucking adorable!

Her heart melted a bit at the thirty-year romance between them. It gave her hope for her and the guys. She turned toward Kincade. "While we're gone, why don't you and the pack work on fixing up the guest house for MacGregor and Mistress MacKay to use while they stay with us. They can make it their own and stay as long as they want."

MacGregor appeared intrigued, while a light blush filled Mistress MacKay's cheeks.

"Excellent idea." Appreciation brightened Kincade's eyes, and he brushed his lips against hers. "I'll get the pack to begin immediately."

Caedmon stiffened at the mention of the house, not that she could blame him, since he had been held prisoner there, possibly for years. He hadn't shared his experience with her, and she didn't feel like it was her place to pry.

She glanced at the clock, knowing it was time to leave, but couldn't make her feet move. There was a quiet desperation to the guys last night, each of them carving out time to spend with her. It was rushed and hot…and perfect .

Unfortunately, no matter how much she didn't want to leave, she didn't have a choice.

Pulling up her big girl panties, she sighed and kissed each one of her mates as she headed toward the door. She kept it short, not allowing herself to linger or deepen the kiss, fearing that she would change her mind.

She needed to do this.

She came to the stop by the door, her lips tingling and bruised as she stared at her mates. "Be safe. Don't do anything foolish."

"We'll be waiting for your return," Kincade vowed, cupping her face. "Call us if you need us."

"I promise." She leaned into his touch, her body humming at his nearness. "Let me know if you run into trouble, and I'll return immediately."

His fingers brushed against her cheek, and it felt like she was leaving part of her soul behind when she pulled away. As if they knew how much it hurt, Ryder and Caedmon hustled her into the truck.

After only a mile down the road, it took everything in her to bite back the demand that Ryder turn back. She wasn't sure if it was a premonition, or just an ache from being parted from her mates, but leaving them behind felt wrong. Desperate for a distraction, she glanced between the two men, then asked the question that bothered her.

"What the hell does it mean when a wolf presents themselves?"

Both of the males stiffened, and she knew she wasn't going to like the answer.

Caedmon sighed, turning in his seat to glance back at her. "Presenting is a way a male can show interest in a female."

"What the hell?!" Morgan lurched back and nearly swallowed her tongue at the unexpected answer. "He has to know that I'm already mated."

She glanced between the two men, trying to glean answers from their silence. Once again, much to her surprise, it was Caedmon who caved.

"He knows." Ryder glanced back at her and met her gaze. "He just doesn't care. A woman as strong as you needs strong mates—and a lot of them."

"Maybe." She scowled, and the hairs on her arms lifted much like a dog defending their territory. "But something seems off about the wolf."

To her surprise, both men nodded in agreement. She stiffened, suddenly pissed, and leaned forward with a growl. "Why the fuck didn't you tell me sooner?"

Both men clamped their mouths shut, but she wasn't going to let them off the hook so easily. "Do you think it has to do with Academy business or me specifically?"

Ryder answered immediately. "They would never ask the Academy for help. That would mean publicly admitting to a weakness. Now that you're one of them, things are different."

She ignored the insinuation in his tone that hinted she was at the center of his conspiracy theory. "Help with what?"

"Nothing good," Caedmon muttered, staring out the window. "Wolves are barely domesticated. They're vicious and ruthless and don't like inviting outsiders into their territory."

Morgan collapsed back into her seat, her shoulders deflating as what he'd said settled over her. "And now they have access to a coven full of wolves they think they can command, thanks to me."

That so can't be good.

Her heart thundered against her ribs as she glanced between the two men. "Just how much authority do they have over us?"

Ryder and Caedmon shared a look, and her spirits sank.

A muscle ticked in Ryder's jaw, and he focused on the road. "Not a lot, but they can make your life difficult. It's never a good thing to be a lone wolf surrounded by pack."

Morgan ran a hand down her face, exhausted by all the politics. She thought she'd left that all behind with the Academy. She was just a hunter. That was all she wanted to do, but life seemed to have a different path for her. "What would they want with us?"

Both men glanced back at her…like the answer was obvious.

When she only stared at them blankly, Ryder grimaced. "There are very few true female werewolves. A female alpha—it's unheard of."

Fuck.

"No." Morgan held up both her hands, like she could hold back their expectations. "Make that a hell fucking no. I have enough mates."

Ryder glanced at Caedmon from the corner of his eye, and she scrunched her nose in confusion. When she glanced at the elf, he was his normal impassive self.

Neither of the men gave anything away, the bastards.

She hated secrets, and she felt they were keeping something important from her.

She crossed her arms and glared. "Besides, they didn't know I was a wolf, much less a queen or alpha or whatever before they came over."

When the guys fell silent, she glanced out the window, unable to get over the sensation that they were being watched.

The Alpha Assembly was being too insistent.

They wanted something, and she suspected that she wasn't going to like the answer.