Page 10 of In The Shadow of The Wolf

“Know this, Aaron; if you hurt her, I will kill you. It may take me years to accomplish, but I will never stop until you are dead.” His words were so cold and deadly that both men straightened and paid him close attention. Ronan James was turning out to be much more than first assumed. His nerve and his strength of spirit were impressive.

“If I ever hurt her, Ronan, I will let you kill me,” Aaron responded with firm determination.

“Just so we understand each other. I have no one else in this world except my sister, and I would gladly die for her.”

“Understood.” With that, Aaron turned and, with Molly in his arms, sprinted towards the road.

Ronan stayed rooted to the spot just now, noticing that Lance’s hand was still on his upper arm. He was rubbing his muscle with his thumb in a soothing, circular pattern. He slowly began a slight tug that brought Ronan closer. As Ronan moved nearer, Lance gradually and with great care slipped his arm around him. He pulled him once again into the side of his body and pressed him there securely.

They walked together like that toward the road where Aaron was carefully placing Molly into the back of an ambulance, and then he followed her inside. Just before they closed the doors, his eyes met Ronan’s, and volumes were communicated. Aaron had a newfound respect for the young man who would willingly give his life for his sister.

Lance walked Ronan over to a large black truck parked on the side of the road. A tall man with long blond hair stepped out and handed the keys to Lance. He then walked away but not before giving Ronan a once over and receiving a low growl from Lance.

“Molly is being taken to the medical center. Aaron will keep her safe, don’t worry, although I am sure you will.” Lance smiled and placed a quick kiss on Ronan’s temple. It was so fast Ronan did not have time to protest. “I’ll take you to the Manor, and we will wait for Molly and Aaron there.”

“What about asshole? If he’s at the Manor, neither Molly nor I will be going there.” Ronan stayed tucked into Lance’s side but still spoke with conviction. He liked the feeling of Lance and his proximity, but he would not go with him if Terry was at the Manor. He would go to the Hospital and wait for Molly, and they would find a hotel room until their car was repaired.

“Asshole is not at the Manor,” Lance spoke matter of fact as if giving him the weather forecast. “I don’t know what Terry said to you, but he has been dealt with and will not come near you or Molly again. His behavior is not indicative of us all; please know that.”

“Okay.” Ronan relented and walked with Lance to the passenger side of the truck. He watched as Lance opened the door for him and helped ease him onto the seat, and buckled him in. Ronan distantly registered that the man was rather controlling but let it pass for now.

They had been driving for about ten minutes when Ronan broke the silence. “Why are you doing this? What does it matter to you if we are guilty or innocent? Why are you going to the trouble of inserting yourself into our problems?” Ronan shifted his eyes to the left to look for his reaction without turning his head. Lance and his friend Aaron said they just want to help, but that seemed too good to be true. It would be very dangerous for them to put their trust in these two men again without knowing their motives.

Lance did not take his eyes off of the road as he answered. “We believe you, and we are not the type of persons who let people suffer or pay for crimes they did not commit.” The answer was partially true. He just left out the part about them being their mates and the fact that they would move heaven and earth to see to their comfort and safety. He would share that part later when the time was right. For now, they would try to pass as simply socially conscious and not desperately in love.

“Okay.” Ronan once again relented and went back to silently staring out the window. Lance wasn’t sure how he felt about the one-word responses he had been getting, but he hoped that Ronan trusted him a little.

CHAPTER FOUR

The 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.

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