Page 6 of Possessive Mate

He didn't think he could move even if he tried.

“Jack, I…I wish to ask you to grant me sanctuary here in Nightstar.”

Hanson blinked in surprise. Sanctuary wasn't something asked or offered often. It was a temporary place within a pack when a lone wolf was in need of the safety of others, perhaps even running from human hunters and such.

Was that the problem? Hanson bit back a growl. He would kill every last human within a fifty-mile radius if they so much as looked at her funny.

What the fuck is wrong with me? he thought, shoving his hands into his jeans pockets to stop from reaching for the door handle.

“Sanctuary?” Jack said, sounding quite astounded. “Elena, are you in trouble?”

Eddie scoffed at that. “That's exactly what I asked, but she won't tell me anything.”

Silence fell again until Jack finally said, “I would welcome you with open arms, Elena, you know that, but we are currently facing our own problems. If trouble is following you, I'm afraid we may not be able to help.”

“I understand,” Elena said, and Hanson's stomach twisted. Was she about to go out and face whatever was following her alone simply because their pack was being hounded by another? No, Hanson wouldn't allow that.

I'll go with her. The thought was such a shock to him that he stepped back, leaning against the far wall of the hallway.

Something was seriously wrong with him. Save for his military tours, he hadn't left Nightstar, and the Nightstar pack had always been his pack. Yet this woman had come in the dead of night and turned his world upside down, and he had no idea why.

“There is nothing to tell,” Elena said, and Hanson imagined her looking between the two men. “Jack, if I thought I would be putting your pack in danger, I would never have come here.”

“Then why are you here?” Jack asked. “Only those in trouble need sanctuary.”

Silence fell again, and Hanson heard the shuffling of feet, as if Elena was kicking the rug under her boots.

“Maybe sanctuary wasn't quite the right word, but I didn't know how else to ask,” Elena admitted, and the tone of her voice made Hanson's chest ache painfully. “I…I just need a place to rest and recover. A…a lot has happened these last few months…things I'd rather not talk about right now.”

She finished on a yawn, as if she hoped being tired might prevent more questions.

Hanson's insides clenched. The quiet that followed was painful. He braced himself for Jack's dismissal, for the alpha to deny her request. He would always put the pack's safety first. If he so much as caught one whiff of trouble from Eddie's sister, she would be gone. Hanson knew that, and it made him even more protective of the woman.

Again, he knew he should turn away. He should leave and go for a shift. He should run and chase something and maybe kill a rabbit or two in order to get rid of this damn frustration building inside him. But still, he couldn't move.

“Elena, you know you are always welcome here,” Jack said finally. There was a short pause before he added, “But if you intend to stay, there are certain rules you must follow.”

“I never would have expected anything different, boss,” Elena said in an almost teasing manner, and not for the first time Hanson got the feeling she and Jack had known each other a while. It was a feeling that led to another: jealousy. How the hell could he be jealous over the fact his alpha had known his packmate's sister before he did? It was absolutely ridiculous, and yet, it was there.

Get a grip, Hanson! If his hands weren't still shoved deep in his pockets, he might have slapped himself. Instead, he pinched himself through his jeans. Maybe he was dreaming. It turned out he wasn't.

Jack growled low, and Hanson imagined that disgruntled glower all over again.

“Don't push it, El,” Eddie warned.

“Oh, come on, he knows I'm only pulling his leg,” Elena protested. The friendly tone between the three of them only made Hanson's jealousy grow. How he longed to be the one standing in that room with her. It was insane.

“Like I said, there're rules. Number one,” Jack growled, and Hanson imagined him glaring at Elena still. “No calling me boss.”

“Sure thing, boss,” Elena said. “Oops, sorry!”

But the laughter Hanson heard from her suggested she had known exactly what she was doing when she said it.

This time both Jack and Eddie growled.

“Alright, alright. I get it. What're the other rules?” Elena asked.

“Nobody is to stray too far into the woods on their own,” Jack explained. “There's a patrol perimeter, and nobody goes any further without backup. We've been having trouble with a rival pack, and she-wolves are especially vulnerable.”

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