Chapter 9 - Hector

The second floor gave me some space from Faye. Her scent, her softness, her lips —everything had been too tempting. One moment longer would have destroyed our mating ritual, and I would have started my reign as alpha by perverting a long-time tradition. That was unacceptable. I was here to challenge the sexist traditions, the ones no longer useful to us, not destroy the very basis for our mating.

I frowned as I stood like a statue on the second-floor landing with my bedroom ahead of me and the FROG to my right. Somewhere deep within, my wolf howled for me to run downstairs and take Faye on top of the kitchen table. He wanted it. I wanted it. What was the use in fighting my instinct with someone I logically knew was my mate?

With a shake of my head, I walked to the FROG, sighing as I opened the door to the sparsely decorated room. It had its own sink in the corner where the roof tilted toward the center, and it was lined with wallpaper the shade of a pale maroon color that reminded me of pottery clay. Along the center of the walls ran a three-dimensional white border that enhanced the space.

A futon sat to the right near the spherical window that overlooked the front yard, complete with multicolored striped pillows and a feathery-soft orange blanket. Soft carpet sponged underfoot, resembling the dark navy waters of a pond under a sliver of moonlight. Other than the compact wood-colored desk with the lamp to the left, nothing else occupied the space. No one really used it.

I scratched the back of my head. I shouldn't have left Faye downstairs without explaining what I was doing, but I was embarrassed at how much I had gotten carried away. Her safety and sanity were important to me. That meant I had to keep my urges under control. If she slept in here, then I wouldn't be tempted in the middle of the night to take her without caring about the consequences.

Three firm knocks interrupted my thoughts. I turned around to see Faye hesitantly swaying between the landing and the room. She looked around and raised her eyebrows at me. "Am I staying here?"

"If you want."

"I think we're past what I want at this point."

Her tone felt sharp and accusatory. Didn't she get what I was doing? This was for both of us to get ahead in life. Her public acceptance of my apology would put us both on the map. Neither of us would ever have to worry about the future.

Didn't she want her life to be easy? "I just want to make sure you're comfortable."

"That didn't seem to be a concern when I was tied up in the back seat of your car."

"Would you rather be gagged?"

Her expression shifted from vicious to curious. She raked her lower lip between her teeth while her eyelids drooped, reaching for a lock of hair to twirl around her finger. "I didn't say that."

"I think you want it." I walked toward her with my shoulders pulled back and my chin up. By the time I reached her, I was peering down my nose at her. "I think you like being tied up, held down, dominated ."

She sucked air between her teeth while trying to hold my gaze—shakily, barely. "I… don't know what you're talking about."

I scooped her hair back from her left shoulder and held it taut in my fist. The shivering hiss that escaped her told me everything I needed to know about her attraction to me. She was dying to have me, but she wouldn't admit it, and the way she wanted to have me was too taboo for her to accept.

But it wasn't an issue for me. I was acting on instinct now, allowing my wolf to guide my firm touch as I traced her throat and loosened the collar of her shirt with my unoccupied fingers. "The truth is you want me so badly that you can't help poking the bear."

"You're not a bear. You're a wolf."

I shook my head. "Don't start getting sassy."

"Or what?"

"Or I'll have to do something about it."

The slightest whimper came through the ragged beating of our hearts. At this point, the way my blood rushed through my veins was loud enough to be mistaken for a raging river. And hers seemed to match the pace of mine, a roaring chorus that might have been mistaken for hatred if I hadn't known better.

Hate, love—weren't those two things intertwined? I loathed her influence on my wolf, but I couldn't deny my attraction. That didn't mean I hated her or that I loved her. But it must have meant something for me to be so resistant and willing at the same time. That was what I hated most—the fact that I loved the chase.

"I don't think you will," she challenged, "because you didn't pursue me when I ran this morning."

I breathed steadily, trying to calm my racing heart as I thought about the way she had disappeared from me. The worry, the concern, had been so much that it nearly broke me to consider she was gone. "You hid from me."

"But you're such a skilled hunter. Can't you find me anywhere?"

My grip on her hair tightened enough to raise her gaze to mine. "Don't tempt me, Faye."

"Then don't treat me like I don't have a choice."

"You do have a choice. I'll prove it to you now."

She licked her lips, the motion so indulgent that I leaned in to taste her tongue—and stopped just inches from her mouth.

Her next breath was shaky. "I don't want to be in the same room as my parents."

"That's impossible. They're the ones who organize the rituals."

"Then I won't participate."

I released her. "You don't have a choice in that."

"But you said I do have a choice."

"That's not what I meant."

She set her angry glare on me, bowing her head slightly to intensify her gaze like she was a huntress preparing to launch herself at me. "Then explain what you meant."

"I want you to choose your place at my side."

"And if I try to run again instead?"

No. That wasn't an option. That could never be a possibility again. To relive the terror of her temporary absence was infuriating enough to send me right back to her, to pin her to the wall in the landing and cup her throat. Though there wasn't any pressure from my fingers, I could sense her arousal immediately, noticing how her eyelids fluttered while her irises disappeared into her skull.

I rested my chin on hers, teasing her mouth with a kiss that never quite came to fruition. "I'll catch you. I'll follow you wherever you go. You'll never escape my attention."

Her hips bucked—a sweet gesture that coaxed my cock to harden. "And what happens when you catch me?"

I smiled mischievously. "You'll find out during the ritual, won't you?"

***

A few days after managing to control my inner wolf, I met with Faye's parents in the private wooded area next to my home. She hadn't tried to run yet and there weren't any demon attacks, but I didn't trust leaving her alone, so I had Cliff stay behind to keep an eye on his sister. The common banter before I left was that I'd given Faye a babysitter—which wasn't too far off from the truth.

If anyone could stop her from leaving, it would be Cliff, even though she secretly resented him. Their body language told me that there were many things they needed to discuss. I hoped it went well as I sorted out the details of the mating ritual with her parents.

Sara smiled pointedly at me whenever she made a joke like she was specifically looking for my approval. I did my best to be polite about everything, but truthfully, I was hung up about the way they had treated Faye a few days ago. Though the woods were thick, there were plenty of paths that would lead to the center between the gated wall and my home. There, we would set up a campfire and a torch with privacy screens for whatever might happen between Faye and me if I caught her.

Not if, I thought. When .

My mind felt like it was receding into the shadows. Simon clapped a hand on my shoulder with a friendly smile, holding up a map marked with the paths that could be taken to the encampment. "It's not like she can run very fast."

Irritation came over me then, inspiring me to shake his hand off. "You don't know that for sure. You haven't seen her in seven years."

Sara laughed lightly. "Alpha, with all due respect, my daughter has always been a fantastic liar. She'll make anyone believe anything."

My jaw tensed as I cracked the knuckles of my right hand by tightening my fingers into a fist. "She has no reason to lie about her physical health or capabilities."

"I'm sure you've noticed by now that things get rather…" Simon exchanged a cautious look with his wife. "… windy ."

"I'm not bothered by her talents," I admitted. "I understand now why she doesn't want to be in the same room as you."

Sara looked mournful. "I'm sorry. What did you just say?"

"Your daughter doesn't want to be near you right now."

She rested a hand over her heart in a dramatic show of sorrow as her eyes filled with emotion. It was either well-rehearsed or she was having trouble trying to determine how upset she should look. "Well, that's downright rude. We raised her. Why wouldn't she want to be around us?"

"Because you're being rude about her weight," I snapped, "and as your commanding alpha, I'm not pleased with your behavior. She's my mate. When you disrespect her, you disrespect me."

This time, Simon was the one to appear sad. Red spots blotched his forehead that he dabbed with a handkerchief from his pocket. He coughed a couple of times before shaking the map open, then folded it neatly into a rectangle. "Perhaps she does look healthy…"

"She is healthy," I stated confidently. "She's happy with her appearance. She's done more for herself than you ever did. I'm proud she's going to participate in this ritual, and I expect your happiness—or you'll be pushed off the organizing committee."

Sara pleaded with wide eyes, barely speaking above a whisper, "Sir, you can't mean that."

I inspected my hand, noticing the dents where my nails had dug into my skin. "I do mean it."

"We'll do our best," Simon promised, "for the new alpha. We can't let you down."

He nodded to his wife, who obediently nodded. After a sigh, I gave them each an approving look, something that Adrian had recently taught me to do after discovering that I wasn't exactly the hugging type. Pack members often sought favor with their alpha. Each alpha had their own way of expressing comfort to affirm that favor, whether it was by shaking hands, touching shoulders, or hugs.

And seeing as physical touch was weird for me, I chose to give an approving look instead, to fill my vision with the love and care that my members needed. Though Simon and Sara were pissing me off, I managed to get them to back down, to agree to behave better. I rewarded them with comfort. Now, they had to deliver on their promise, or they wouldn't continue to receive comfort.

It was basic psychological conditioning at this point. Shifters who lost favor with their alphas ended up getting shunned by the pack, and that usually led to a long and painful death riddled with starvation and struggle. While it would be impossible to kick out a long-standing couple like the Spears, they wouldn't continue to live a cushy life with my disapproval hanging over their heads.

When the silence ended, Simon bowed his head. "With all due respect, Alpha, we should walk Faye through the steps of the ritual, so she knows what to expect."

He had a point. But I wasn't keen on making Faye do any more than she was already doing. I toggled between doing the instructions myself and giving her parents a chance to prove they could behave with their daughter. My mental debate didn't last long as I walked to the house and collected both Cliff and Faye from the living room.

On the porch, Faye crossed her arms over her chest. She was wearing a sporty crop top and a pair of loose-fitting high-waisted blue jeans with a studded belt threaded through the loops. Pink tennis shoes poked out from the flared hems of her pants. It made me grin to look her over, to see her comfortable in her style, and to look damn good at wearing it, too. Her blonde hair hung around her shoulders in stylish waves that resembled a beachy look.

"I see thrifting with your brother went well," I commented.

She blinked a few times, peered down at her outfit, and then stood up straighter. She propped her right hand casually on her hip. "Yeah, well… I'm surprised I found the right size in that dingy bin you guys have in the community center."

I gestured to the jeans. "I can take you into town some time to get newer clothes."

She looked at me. "No. It's fine. I like these. I mean…" She shrugged. "I could use some leggings since you won't let me go home."

"I just can't risk losing you."

That admission caught us both off guard.

Cliff stepped in. "Hey, I can always head to the old place and grab some things for you, Faye Bay."

Faye cringed. "Please, don't start with that nickname again."

"Faye Bay," I whispered with a chuckle. "Now that's cute."

She shook her head and held up her hands at us like she was about to shove our faces away, and stepped into the yard. Before I knew it, she was approaching her parents with her shoulders back and her head high. Internally, I was howling madly at the sky. Confidence like that was exactly what I wanted to see her wear. And that was precisely why she would make the perfect mate.

She didn't let it get to her. She stood up to the bullies. She stood up to me .

Cliff and I trailed after her. My eyes swept over each face around me, reading the energy in the area as utterly tense.

I took Faye's hand. "Sara, why don't you walk your daughter through the ritual?"

Sara gave me a pleading look that spoke of fear, but she put on her polite grin the second I started growling. She fixed her professional bun and dabbed the corners of her mouth to perfect her already meticulously applied maroon lipstick. After tugging on her vest, she nodded.

"You'll be given a doe mask and sent in that direction," Sara pointed behind her at the thick woods, "and you'll follow the light."

Faye squeezed my hand. "You want me to act like a doe when I'm a wolf?"

"The doe mask is a mythical representation of prey," Simon explained, "but it's not by any means indicative of weakness. She stands for gentleness and motherhood. Artemis herself presides over deer among many other animals."

I gave a light, supportive squeeze back to Faye. "We'll both be dressed in earthy robes. Once you get ahead of me, I'll shift into my wolf form and pursue you."

She raised her eyebrows at me. "So, we're playing tag?"

"No, we're playing fetch ," I retorted playfully. "You're my goal. I must catch you and bite your neck."

Her hand flew to her throat, where I had been inches away from ruining this very ritual the other night. How many times would she torment me with the possibility of doing it? I guessed I would have to find out.

Sara smiled tightly. "It doesn't require a witch or any magic." She clasped her hands together in front of her. "Not sure why we're involving a witch at all."

Tension bristled in the air as Faye squared her shoulders. "If only you hadn't passed your genes down to me, Sara."

"My name is Mother to you," Sara shot back.

Faye snorted. "Funny. You don't act like one."

A growl rattled my chest, forcing everyone to stiffen around me. That sound was enough to put everyone in their place, if only for just a moment. I was getting tired of the bickering, the strain, and the agitation. It wasn't healthy for anyone. If the Spears wouldn't accept their daughter as a hybrid, then how would the rest of the pack do it, even with my support?

While I fought against an outburst, Simon cleared his throat. Wonderful . Now, we were going to hear from her father about his opinion on the situation. I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep this conversation from spiraling. We had a ritual to plan before these demons got ballsy again.

I didn't have the time. None of us had time.

"Sara, she might be right," Simon explained gently. "We've been hard on her since she got back."

My shoulders fell as Faye clutched my hand with a whimper. Even Cliff looked shocked. His mother wasn't sure how to react, so her face remained blank, a template on which anything could be written.

Perhaps even the slightest bit of understanding could be etched there.

Simon took his wife's hand. "You weren't cursed with powers. Faye got the brunt of that weight. It's not fair to keep taking it out on her."

Sara observed her daughter quietly, the blank slate remaining. "Right, well…"

"She belongs to the alpha now," Simon continued, "and that means she's his problem."

I rolled my eyes. Well, that's better than rejection, I guess.

At the very least, the tension diminished enough for us to continue explaining the remainder of the ritual. We wandered the woods and pointed out three different places where the campfire might be located. Faye held onto me the entire time. She didn't let go until we reached my house.

And even then, she went right back to holding my hand as if we had been doing it for years.