CHAPTER FOUR

T he Manor was breathtaking. Ronan had seen some impressive homes in the past, but there wasn't one that could compare to the opulence and regency of the structure before him. It looked like the sort of place to house a president or prime minister, not a small-town mayor and a few of his associates and friends. "Holy cow, this place is massive." He couldn't control the sudden outburst and was rewarded with the sweetest smile from Lance.

"That it is." Lance put the truck in park and cut the engine before he turned to regard Ronan with a contemplative stare. "Your sister called you Roe."

"Yes, she does that when she's upset. It's what she called me until a couple of years ago when I asked her politely to stop and threatened to start calling her Moe if she didn't." He laughed at the memory. "Hey, you called me Roe back in the woods." He recalled. "I hope it won't become a habit."

"Why, what are you going to call me if it does become a habit?" Lance enjoyed the light teasing and the genuine laughter from Ronan.

"I'll call you Moe too." He laughed and exited the vehicle, and met Lance at the steps to the porch.

"That's a hollow threat, Roe. You are going to have to come up with something better than that to get me to stop." Ronan forgot himself and punched Lance in the arm playfully. "Love taps aren't going to do it either, Roe."

"Oh, so that's how it's going to be. I'll come up with something . . . suitable." Ronan smiled mischievously.

"I'm sure you will. . . Roe." Lance walked him into the main hall of the big house and called to the men sitting in what appeared to be a TV room. He glanced down at Ronan with a smile. "I like it, so you're Roe to me, no one else though, only me and your sister." He added with a grin.

Ronan moved to stand near Lance as the three men came from the room on the left and stood before them. They were huge and not all that friendly-looking. Ronan was so tired of the dominant male types and had more of them than he could handle for one lifetime. He seriously considered turning around and leaving. He would have if Lance hadn't sensed his mood and reached over to take his arm and hold him in place.

"These are my men, Ronan. You never need to fear them. They will guard you with their lives." Lance saw the shock on Ronan's face but continued with his introductions. "This is Dean Miller, Frank Sorensen, and Alvin McMaster." He pointed out each man, and each man stepped forward.

Dean was the man that had brought them the truck. He had shoulder-length blond hair and was muscled like a wrestler. Frank was also blond, but his hair was more like a military cut, and his muscles were more toned. Alvin had very long dark hair and was also tall but built like a runner, firm and lean. "Men, this is Ronan James, my mate." Lance moved to place his arm around Ronan in what appeared to be a rather possessive stance. The three men let out hoots and whistles and came forward to pat Lance on the back and shake Ronan's hand.

"Good to meet you, Ronan. Welcome to the Pack." Dean was the first, followed by similar sentiments from the other two men. Ronan simply kept nodding and mustered a weak smile for the men.

‘Well, that was certainly strange .' He didn't want to make a scene in regard to the mate and pack issue, but he really wasn't sure he liked the sound of it. The words power and control came to mind, and not in a good sweaty, heavy breathing sort of way. He would ask Lance about it at a later time, when not around so many large intimidating men.

"Are you hungry, Roe?" Lance took his hand and immediately started pulling him in the opposite direction of the TV room. "I'll introduce you to the rest of the guys when they show up. Most are usually here by dinner, which is 6:30p.m. We try to eat together in the dining room. It keeps us abreast of any new information, and it's good for the men to be all together at least once a day."

"Not really hungry, but a cup of coffee would taste good," Ronan answered.

Lance seated Ronan at the breakfast bar and hurriedly started a pot of coffee. "How about a Danish to go with it?" Ronan nodded probably a little too eagerly. The Danish he pulled out of the fridge was delicious-looking. He watched as Lance went about preparing him coffee and a snack. He noticed the firm muscled build of the man again and appreciated the smooth grace of his movements. Considering Lance's size, he moved like a gazelle. Lance glanced at him as he filled two cups with the fresh coffee. Ronan understood the questioning look and asked for both cream and sugar.

They sat there in silence for a few minutes while Lance watched Ronan eat the Danish. Ronan thought he recognized lust in the intensity of Lance's gaze but wrote it off as delusion brought on by stress and exertion.

"Have you heard anything about Molly's condition?" Ronan asked.

"I'll call." He pulled his cell from his pocket and dialed without ever taking his eyes from Ronan. "What's the word?" Lance took a sip of his coffee as he listened. "Okay, see you later." He closed his phone and put it back into his pocket before speaking.

"She has a sprained ankle and minor cuts. They're putting her ankle in a brace and are prescribing pain killers for her. Aaron will be bringing her here in about two hours after they pick up her medication at the pharmacy."

"If Molly uses her medical insurance card, Jordan will be able to locate us. Her medical coverage is through the county, which Jordan pretty much rules." Ronan dropped his head and stared at the tabletop feeling all kinds of helpless and stupid.

Lance reached across the table to grip his hand, causing him to look up. "The Pack has taken care of the medical costs. It was my fault she was hurt, so it is my responsibility."

Ronan was ready to broach the subject of ‘what the hell do you mean by Pack' when Dean came into the kitchen. "Terry is out front. He is asking for an audience, and he is asking to be allowed to apologize to Ronan. Do you want me to get rid of him?"

Ronan wasn't sure, but he thought he saw Lance's eyes flash and change color, but that couldn't be possible. Lance shook his head like a dog dislodging an irritant, and then his eyes were brown again. Ronan watched him as he stood and walked around the table. "This is your call, Roe. You and Molly were the injured parties, and your sister is not present, so it is up to you; you decide."

"Decide what? I don't understand." Ronan also stood and stepped back from Lance.

"Terry is Pack, and as such, he has rules that he must abide by. He was entrusted with the care of you and Molly, and he failed, and more importantly, he failed purposefully." Lance explained, but he still made no sense.

Okay, so Pack must be like the Elks lodge or some fraternal order of something, and Terry failed when given responsibility by the lodge leader, which he assumed to be Lance. Okay, he was starting to sort of getting it. "You people really take your clubs seriously," Ronan commented to no one in particular, although he noticed a chuckle from Dean. "Really, all I would like is the opportunity to punch the stupid bastard in the face."

"Done." Lance took Ronan's hand and pulled him along with him as they headed back to the front door and out onto the porch. Ronan saw Terry, the big dummy, standing between Frank and Alvin, who were holding him by the upper arms keeping him immobile. He looked a little uneasy. He stole a couple of glances at Ronan but never looked at Lance.

"Speak," Lance growled.

Terry kept his eyes downcast but began to explain his actions to Lance. "I did not take the care necessary for the safety of the two mates. I was lax in the duty given due to my own prejudice. I understood their importance, and yet I believed them unworthy and treated them as such. My behavior resulted in injury to the female. I accept whatever punishment you decide, and I would ask permission to apologize to your mate for my words and my actions."

Lance stepped towards the man, who was now literally bowing to the larger man. "For your affront to me, you will be stripped of your rank of Enforcer for the Lonepine Pack for one year. After one year, you will be given the opportunity to challenge to regain your position. For your affront to my mate and his sister, I have let Ronan decide on your punishment." He raised his right hand towards Ronan, beckoning him to his side. "Ronan has asked for the right to ‘punch the stupid bastard in the face,' his words." Lance looked at Ronan and, with a sweep of his arm, indicated that he could take his shot at Terry.

Ronan walked closer to Terry and watched him for a moment. "You have to let him go." He spoke to Frank and Alvin. "I won't punch a man who's being held down." They released him, and the second they did, Ronan threw a punch and put his entire body into it. He didn't want Terry to have a chance to intercept the strike. Ronan wanted to punch this piece of shit more than he wanted anything, and this was his opportunity.

His fist connected with Terry's jaw with a resounding thud, and he saw his head jerk back from the force. Ronan wasn't large, but he knew how to use what he had. "That's for threatening us and talking to my sister like she was garbage and for forcing us to run, which caused her injury, and for making Molly cry." Ronan was breathing heavy, and his anger was palatable, especially to Lance, who was observing his mate with a continued newfound love and admiration. Even as angry as he obviously was, he hit him once and did it fairly. Lance was very proud of his mate.

To say Terry was shocked would be an understatement. He couldn't believe the power behind the punch that little human gave him. If he had not been a wolf, he would be lying on his back right now and probably unconscious.

"I'm sorry, Ronan." That was all he could think of to say.

Ronan nodded and returned to stand next to Lance. They turned and went back into the house together. Lance slipped his arm around him and once again pulled him close. He loved being able to touch and hold his mate after waiting so many years for his arrival. Terry was lucky he still had a place in the Pack after scaring his human, his man, his mate.

Lance wasn't sure how to go about explaining everything to Ronan in regard to the Pack and the fact that he and Lance were predestined mates. He started to approach the subject with the use of the words during conversation, but Ronan hadn't questioned it yet. Although he seemed to think a Pack was some sort of club which wasn't actually that far off.

"What did you mean by the punishment you gave Terry?" Ronan asked as soon as they were once again seated in the kitchen, and Lance had prepared him another cup of coffee. He offered another Danish, but Ronan declined.

"He is removed from his position for one year, and he has the right to challenge to regain it." Lance knew he was being vague but wanted Ronan to dig for the answers and therefore process each answer slowly.

"Enforcer is that the title they use around here for Police Officer. Did Terry lose his job over this? He was an asshole, that's for sure, but he didn't deserve to lose his livelihood over it." Ronan set his cup down and looked at Lance.

"Terry is part of the Lonepine Pack and has been since birth. He became an Enforcer for the pack three years ago when an opening occurred, and he challenged for the position and won." Lance took a sip of his coffee before continuing; it gave him a chance to gauge the acceptance of the information he'd shared so far. He could see Ronan's thought process trying to make everything fit into the reality he understands.

"Enforcer is not a Police Officer. The Enforcer works only for the Pack, and a Police Officer works for the town and the surrounding area. The two are not the same. Terry is still a Police Officer, although I'm beginning to question his suitableness in that regard. We don't need officers that possess bigoted or superior beliefs." Lance watched as Ronan repeatedly blinked as he took in all that had been said.

"This is probably crazy but is this Pack like the Elks or a men's club?"

"Sort of, but it is not exclusive to men. Women and children are also part of the Lonepine Pack."

"Wow, that's very progressive of you." Ronan knew there was much more to the explanation than that, but he was almost afraid to ask too many questions. The whole pack thing could be a cover for something better left unknown.

He and Molly intended to leave here after their car was repaired, and he didn't want to give them a reason to make them stay, such as knowing too much about the Pack. Just as he was about to broach the subject of mate, they heard the front door open and Aaron announcing that they were home.

Ronan beat Lance to the door, although Lance was right on his heels. Ronan went to give his sister a hug when Aaron pulled her back into his chest and away from Ronan. "She is in a fair amount of pain, Ronan, so be careful." He said, although the real reason was that his wolf was being overprotective of his injured mate. He didn't want anyone too near her, not even her brother.

Ronan accepted that move about as easily as a knee to the groin. "I will touch my sister whether you like it or not, Aaron." He moved into his personal space and put his arms around Molly, who seemed a bit spacey through it all. He noticed the looks that passed between Aaron and Lance but could not understand any of it. Finally, Aaron stepped back slightly and let Ronan hold Molly.

"I'm feeling much better, Roe, don't worry, but I would really like to lay down for a while." Molly shifted her eyes to an impatiently waiting Aaron. Aaron moved towards her, and instantly Ronan pulled her up against him and away from Aaron. Lance stepped forward at that moment and draped an arm around Ronan bending his head, and spoke directly into his left ear.

"Don't play with the man Roe. He is utterly smitten with your sister and means her no harm. Let him see to her comfort; he needs to be able to care and provide for her." Lance let his lips linger on the edges of Ronan's ear causing all kinds of reactions below the belt.

Ronan hesitated only a moment before letting Molly go back to Aaron. She seemed to want to be with him, which confused the hell out of Ronan. Molly was always the level-headed one and always questioned the motivation of others. He had never in his life witnessed her so…needy; it made him happy that she was happy but also caused him concern.

"Are you sure, Molly? We really don't know any of these people, and remember what happened when we trusted asshole, Terry?"

Molly sunk into Aaron's embrace before answering. "I know it seems strange, but I trust Aaron. I don't know why but I do. I trust him as much as I trust you, Roe." Molly looked up at Aaron with what looked like love in her eyes as he tucked her under his arm and led her towards the stairway.

Ronan watched their retreating backs but said nothing until they were out of sight. "This morning, we left a motel in Bismarck, North Dakota, and headed west with nothing on our minds except making it to Cousin Henry's before Jordan could intercept us.

In less than twenty-four hours, we were rescued by the side of the road, sort of arrested and questioned by the Police, the Mayor, and a mechanic. We were threatened and escaped, captured, and brought to the home of the Mayor and the mechanic. Molly, who has never taken a man serious in her life, appears to be on the verge of proposing marriage to the mechanic. She looks at him like she wants to eat him alive, and by the look on Aaron's face, the feeling is mutual. I am so confused." Ronan turned then and looked at Lance, who was looking at him with that same hungry stare he had while watching him eat the Danish. "What's next, do you think?"

Lance brushed his knuckles down the side of Ronan's face and took a deep breath inhaling Ronan's essence. "What's next is you fall madly in love with me, and we live happily ever after."

Ronan laughed nervously and tried to take it lightly. ‘ Lance can't possibly be serious, but the look on his face was all-consuming, and his eyes seemed to be asking, no, almost pleading for an answer.'

"We'll have to see about that, I guess." The answer seemed to please him. Lance took him by the hand and followed Molly and Aaron up to the second floor.

The house was enormous, with more bedrooms than Ronan had ever seen in any one structure outside of a hotel. He was led to a large room at the end of the hall and ushered inside. It was very inviting with a large bed, dresser, a comfortable-looking chair, and small writing table. It was very nice, and the floor-to-ceiling window even had a large plush window seat.

Ronan noticed that his bag containing the few personal items he'd brought and the bag containing his laptop was sitting on the table. He wasn't sure when those arrived, but he was glad to see his things as sparse as they were.

"This will be your room for now anyway. I have the room next door." Lance walked over to a door on the one wall and opened it. "This door adjoins our two rooms, so please feel free to use it whenever you need me."

Ronan looked into Lance's room and was surprised by the austere nature of the space. There was little more than a bed and a dresser with no items that made the space personal. "Thank you."

Lance walked casually over to the bed in his room and sat down. Ronan followed, looking over the room with curiosity, wondering what this man was about and not getting a clue from the contents of the room. Lance followed him with his eyes as Ronan took in his surroundings, obviously full of questions.

"What is it, Roe? You can ask me anything." He motioned for Ronan to sit next to him and was pleased when he complied.

"What's happening here?" Ronan twisted his fingers in his lap and kept his eyes on Lance. "What is it that you mean by ‘pack,' and what is this mate stuff that you are throwing around regarding Molly and me. Most troubling of all is why do I trust you? I feel safe when I am with you, even after the issue with Terry and the fact that you put us in that situation. I don't blame you; I really don't." Ronan glanced over at Lance and then back to his hands on his lap.

"When you caught us in the woods, I wasn't afraid. I was just frustrated and angry. I truly believe you mean me no harm. How do I know that?" Finally, he ran out of questions for the moment and paused, waiting for answers. Lance put his arm around him and drew him up to be pressed against his chest, drinking in the smell and feel of his mate. The most touching was Ronan's unguarded declaration of trust and belief in his resolve to keep him safe. His mate spoke his thoughts without guile, and that touched Lance the most.

"The Lonepine Pack is not a club. It is a community of individuals and families with a like heritage and culture." Lance drew back slightly in order to look at Ronan's eyes and keep track of his understanding. "It is not a religious or paramilitary group either. We live by pack rules and always by societal rules, just as you. We are guaranteed through our DNA to have a predestined mate or soul mate; it is not a romantic or figurative idea. It is factual and literal. We recognize our mate on sight and smell. The attraction and the driving need to be with this person is immediate and overwhelming." He was sharing a lot and fast and in the hopes that Roe processed some of it.

"Unfortunately, not everyone meets their mate. Some members live their lives alone or accept that they are never to find their mate and instead settle with someone they care for. It is an honor and a gift to find one's mate, and it is considered a time for celebration." Lance paused and waited for any questions or comments. When all he got was a confused countenance, he continued. "I never thought I would find my mate due to the fact that I am gay, and from what I have heard, it is even less likely for a gay pack member to find their mate than a straight one."

"You're gay?" Ronan's shocked surprise was unexpected and hilarious as far as Lance was concerned.

"Yes, Roe, I'm gay, and you're my mate. Do you really think I would be holding you, kissing you, and treating you like a lover if I wasn't interested in you and . . . gay?" Lance could not help the chuckle that escaped his lips as he watched the red blush creep up Ronan's neck to encompass his face.

"You, sir, are adorable." Lance cupped the back of Ronan's neck and brought him the few inches forward necessary to capture his lips. The touch was electric for Lance, and soon he had Ronan's lips parted, and he quickly invaded the soft, moist recesses, tasting, experiencing, devouring. He was kissing his mate, and his mate was kissing him back; that thought smashed all of his resistance and reserve as he aggressively plundered Ronan's mouth and deepened the embrace.

Ronan should have guessed, but with everything happening, he hadn't thought about Lance's orientation. To have him state it clearly and also make it clear that he was interested in him was a boost to his self-esteem and sent his fears and doubts firmly into the background.

Ronan caught himself moaning as Lance let his one hand massage his scalp while the other explored his side, slipping down to his thigh and up to his hip in a repeated sensuous motion. Each time his hand coming closer to his groin until finally, Ronan felt Lance'sfinger lightly graze the head of his cock; the action causing it to stiffen painfully in his suddenly too-tight jeans. Ronan felt more than heard the satisfied chuckle from Lance.

Lance delved deep, his tongue mapping the interior of Ronan's mouth, eager to commit it all to memory. He'd had lovers in the past but never had he felt the overwhelming need to completely consume someone the way he was feeling now. He wanted to eat Ronan up, sucking, nibbling, and biting until he knew if he didn't pull back, he would be taking Ronan right here, right now. He eased away slightly but continued to hold him close and rub his whisker roughened cheek against Ronan's face and neck, marking him with his scent.

"There's more to all of this, isn't there? I feel it, but I'm not ready to hear it all . . . yet. I'll ask again later." Ronan resigned himself to accepting the situation for what it appeared to be and left it at that for now.

Lance smiled to himself and continued to rub his face against Ronan's. The relationship was moving along nicely; now, all he needed to do was get Jordan Randall out of the way.

Lance informed him that Molly was in the bedroom to his left and across the hall, and, surprise, surprise, Aaron was in the adjoining room. He made a mental note to go into Molly's room late tonight and lock the adjoining door. Aaron could still enter from the hall, but he would be heard.

Dinner was an experience with the large table in the dining room able to accommodate twelve. Ronan found that every chair had an occupant. He asked if they all lived there, and Lance informed him that they did, and so did several others that were not present for dinner. He asked how many totals lived at the manor and was told the number was not static, and often people moved in and out. This was a place for members who had nowhere else or were in flux in their relationships.

Everyone seemed to accept and be excited for Lance when he continually introduced him as his mate. Ronan understood that the mate meant boyfriend or partner or something similar as Lance had referred to him as a soul mate, but Ronan wasn't sure how that was all going to play out when he and Molly went on their way.

They had no plans on staying in Lonepine, and Henry was expecting them. He decided to discuss the matter with Lance later and see how it was received. All he needed in his life was one more stalker, although Lance was . . . different. He couldn't put Lance in the same category as Jordan. Lance was sincere for the most part, and he actually appeared to care. What was even stranger was that Ronan cared about him. Lance made him want things, intimate things, and being near him was pleasant and easy and . . . wow, he was falling for Lance, and he knew it.

It was after ten when he excused himself to go to his room with the intention of checking on Molly before he turned in for the night. Ronan sat at the desk by the window and took out his laptop. Lance had given him the password to their WiFi and also the numbers to the electronic lock on the front and back doors. He acted like he expected him to be staying a long time and not just one night. That thought comforted and scared Ronan simultaneously.

Ronan was checking the local news back in Michigan, but gladly they had been taken off the pages, and other more important news had taken their place, thank God. Their story was minor, and little real explanation had been given regarding the alleged break-in and theft, so the public would move on rather quickly. That didn't mean that Jordan would move on . . . ever. He wanted what he wanted, and nothing was going to stop him, apparently.

Suddenly out of the corner of his eye, he noticed movement in the backyard. The yard lights only covered a few yards beyond the back porch, so the tree line was in darkness, but Ronan was certain he could see something. He opened the window and leaned out but saw nothing. He listened closely and could just make out what sounded like a howl, but that could be the local wildlife.

They were in the wilderness, so howling was probably expected. He was just about to pull his head back in and close the window when he saw something come out of the woods and walk toward the porch. It looked like a dog, a large dog no . . . it was a man on his hands and knees no . . .it was a man walking . . . naked. Oh, shit , he muttered, confused and a little disoriented. Ronan rubbed his eyes vigorously and looked again, but the yard was empty, no man, no dog, and unfortunately, no naked man. He anxiously searched the yard again, even leaning out of the window so far as to nearly fall out but still nothing.

Ronan stepped back and closed the window. Tenseness came over him, which indicated something was amiss; he knew it but couldn't explain what it was. The atmosphere had changed; there was a charge in the air that wasn't there before. The energy was buzzing, and he could feel it. Carefully he moved towards his bedroom door, interested in checking the hallway for clues to what was going on. The door gave a slight creak as he gradually swung it open and peered out. Nothing, the hall was vacant of everything, including sound.

…

Lance ducked quickly out of sight and onto the porch when he noticed Ronan watching from his window. He wasn't sure how much he'd seen but was certain that he'd probably seen enough. Lance had planned on introducing the fact that he and the others were a wolf pack. He wanted to do it slowly in small increments so his little human mate would hopefully not freak out in the way humans tended to do when confronted with the paranormal.

That option seemed to be out of the question now. Ronan was very astute, and Lance was certain the questions and accusations would be coming in full force. Aaron met him on the porch as Lance was putting on his jeans.

"Ronan saw you." He informed.

"Yes, I know."

"Are you going to speak to him about it?" Aaron eyed him seriously. "If you are, I need to prepare Molly for the same information." Lance considered the question for some time without responding. Finally, Aaron spoke again while studying his friend closely for clues as to their next move. "He may not have understood what he saw."

Lance nodded. "I'll wait to see what he asks before I share all. If I feel that a complete explanation is necessary, I will let you know first so as to include Molly. I just would like to wait until he is more comfortable here with me and with us before laying all of this on him."

"Speaking of things to deal with, what do you plan to do about Jordan Randall and his obsession with Ronan?"

"I have a plan," Lance said as he stood and entered the main hall through the back entrance with Aaron close on his heels.

"Does it involve tracking him down and killing him because if it does, I am completely on board?" Aaron was sarcastic but true to his word. Given a chance, he would gleefully put an end to Jordan Randall for all the pain and upset the man has caused his mate.

"He'll track down Ronan and Molly, and then we'll handle him." The feral grin was one that Aaron rarely saw on his Alpha. It had a chilling effect that reached the bone.