Page 10 of Taken By the Wolf Daddy

My father, ever the protector, immediately voiced his concerns. “Marie, I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to stay overnight at Jesse’s. Not with everything that’s been happening.”

I could feel the tension building in the room, the unspoken fears and worries that had plagued us throughout the day. Jesse, to his credit, was understanding. “I know this is a lot to ask, but I need someone to watch my daughter. I can’t have her out in the woods with me.”

“Then drop her off here,” Dad snapped. “I want to protect my daughter as well.”

Jesse pursed his lips, but he relented. “Sure, okay. I will drop her off here in a moment, thank you. I appreciate this. I hope I’m not affecting your night.”

Just before he left, a current of longing passed between us. It was a look that spoke of unspoken desires, a silent acknowledgment of the attraction that simmered beneath the surface.

My father, ever watchful, seemed to notice the exchanged glances. Suspicion clouded his expression, and he furrowed his brow as he observed our interaction.

As Jesse left, I could feel my father’s eyes on me, his concern evident in his gaze. I turned away quickly because I didn’t want to have to explain myself. There was no explaining this, anyway. I couldn’t make my father understand why Jesse and I looked at one another like that. If I said nothing, I hoped that he would simply put it down to us both worrying about Belle. That would be the easiest explanation for the both of us.

SIX

JESSE

The journey up the mountain was typically a time for me to clear my mind, focus on the tasks ahead, and ensure the safety of our territory. But on this particular evening, my thoughts were anything but focused. They kept wandering to a place they shouldn’t–Marie. After the way I embraced her today, I just couldn’t stop myself from imagining what it would be like to be with her, really be with her. I could tell that she was thinking the same as me. It was evident in the way she looked at me as I left her home. The way she had looked at me when I dropped off Belle earlier was etched into my mind, a look that hinted at a longing that mirrored my own. Her beauty, her intelligence, her strength–all of it combined to create a potent attraction that I couldn’t ignore.

Big Ed, my loyal beta and dear friend, had noticed my distraction. He was never one to beat around the bush and decided to address the issue head-on. “Jesse,” he said in his typically blunt manner, “you need to leave Marie alone.”

His words hit me like a cold splash of water, a stark reminder of the complicated situation we found ourselves in. Marie was significantly younger than me, and her infatuation with me was clear. I had no intention of exploiting her feelings, but I couldn’t deny that I was struggling to push her out of my thoughts. He could see it because his connection with my mind was so strong that I could hardly keep a secret from him, no matter how hard I tried.

I didn’t want anyone to know that I had a secret crush on Marie, but he caught on to it anyway.

“I’m not trying to exploit her, Ed,” I replied, my voice tinged with frustration. “It’s just… I can’t seem to get her out of my head lately.”

Big Ed raised an eyebrow, his expression a mix of understanding and concern. “I get it, Jesse. Marie’s a great girl, and I’m not saying you’re doing anything wrong. But you need to be careful. She’s young, and she looks up to you. You don’t want to lead her on or hurt her.”

I sighed, feeling the weight of his words. He was right, of course. I couldn’t afford to let my attraction to Marie cloud my judgment or affect her in any negative way. She deserved better than that. So did the town. I mean, everyone was relying on us, and we needed to do it right.

“Plus,” he continued, “you know that Mike will kill you, don’t you? He’s always been very protective of Marie, and I don’t think he’s going to be happy that one of his friends is thinking of her like that.”

“I won’t act on it,” I assured Big Ed, but I wasn’t sure he was totally buying it. “It’s just a little hard, that’s all. Especially with her looking after Belle.”

“Just another reason you need to keep your distance. You don’t want to make things more complicated than they already are.”

Big Ed cocked a knowing eyebrow at me but left it there hanging in the air for me to ponder.

As we continued our ascent up the mountain, I couldn’t help but wonder how I had let myself become entangled in this emotional web. The situation was complicated, and I needed to find a way to maintain my focus and keep my feelings in check so nothing got worse as we tried to deal with this. I couldn’t deal with any more death.

But as the night sky darkened and the Patron’s place came into view, I couldn’t escape the nagging thought that Marie had become a distraction I couldn’t easily shake.

The Patron’s grand stone mansion stood atop the mountain, a testament to his wealth and influence. It served as a neutral ground where representatives from all three could come together, both as friends and rivals, to discuss matters of importance. As the Alpha of one of the Crescent Moon packs, it was my duty to represent my clan in these gatherings. That didn’t make me any less nervous though, because there was no telling which way things would go. Especially since I was not entirely trusting of the other clans. I didn’t know if they were going to be the culprit at the end of all of this.

But I had to push all of that to one side. I wasn’t about to show anyone any weakness. Not a chance. So, I put on my game face and the mansion’s grand doors swung open to welcome us. As I stepped inside with my pack, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of anticipation in the air. These meetings were a delicate balance, a chance for the clans to cooperate while also guarding their interests and territories, which of course could always go one of two ways.

But tonight, we needed to at least try and stick together. For the sake of Wolf Mountain.

The room was filled with a mix of familiar faces and strangers. Representatives from the Blackpaw Clan, led by James Carmichael, were present, with an air of anger already rolling off them in waves. It didn’t matter that we hadn’t even started talking yet. Their aggression didn’t bode well. Then there was the World Walkers, with their leader, Octavio Dellums. He was surprisingly becoming a friend of mine, despite the tensions that sometimes simmered between our clans. His presence represented hope for a more unified future, though I knew not all within their ranks shared that ideal.

The meeting commenced, and the discussions began with the usual formalities and courtesies exchanged among the clans. The representatives from each group acknowledged one another, recognizing the delicate balance between cooperation and competition that defined our interactions.

The first topic of discussion was, of course, the recent disappearances on the mountain, a topic that had been on everyone’s minds. It was a shared concern that transcended clan boundaries, a threat that needed to be addressed collectively.

“We’ve all felt the weight of these tragedies,” I began, my voice carrying a sense of solemnity. “Our priority must be to ensure the safety of our people and the integrity of our territory.”

The leader of the Blackpaw Clan nodded in agreement, though his expression remained guarded. “Indeed, we cannot allow these killings to continue. It reflects poorly on all of us.”

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