Page 11 of Pack to the Wall

Tyson’s gaze briefly met mine, and I could feel the intensity of his emotions, a longing that both intrigued and scared me. His mother had said part of being ‘fated’ meant he’d want to fuckme, and an aching part of me wanted him to. But if he did… I’d become a werewolf, so that was off the table.

“Also, we’re not the only kind of shifter. Others have been cursed in a similar way. Tank, the big guy from our pack, is a bear shifter, and there are a couple other bears in our pack as well. We also have a lion shifter.” Tyson’s gaze drifted up to meet mine. “We’re not good people. We do horrible things. We’re cursed and… most of us like it that way.” His jaw tensed for a moment. “And I’m sorry Jane, but you’re going to have to become one of us if you want to survive.”

I swallowed hard, turning away. I made a show of pouring the coffee, but really, I just needed a moment. I trembled. Some distant part of me had guessed that’s where this was all going, but still…. I didn’t want to be cursed. I didn’t want any of this.

But I had no choice now.

If I wanted to protect my family and survive, I’d have to accept it.

“And my kids?” I asked, unable to keep my voice from quavering.

“They don’tneedto, but they’re a part of the pack now and it’ll be awkward if they aren’t turned. Just the slightest mishap could turn them. It doesn’t take much blood at all.”

I shook so badly I couldn’t pick up my mug. I’d slosh the black liquid everywhere. I leaned on the counter, clamping my hands around the fringe at the sink.

“No.” My voice was as firm as I could make it. “I may have to do this, but they don’t. I’ll keep them safe.”

“Then so will I,” Tyson said stoically behind me.

“Aw… Mom!” Milo whined. I ignored him.

Tyson’s reassurance allowed me to regain some measure of control. I didn’t know this man at all, but he’d made it very clear he was here for me, whatever I needed, and I had a feeling I was going to need him a lot in the days to come.

I picked up my coffee and turned back, taking a sip.

That lapse in control a moment ago only highlighted how well I was keeping my shit together. A part of me wanted to scream that this was insane, but I was nothing if not pragmatic. I’d always worked hard and pushed through difficult times, no stranger to struggle. I was the only female manager at my accounting firm, and I’d had to work three times as hard as any man to get there. I should have been an executive, but the boys club at the top would never let that happen. Still, I’d done well for myself, and provided a decent life for my kids.

Now all of that was in danger. I couldn’t let that happen. I had to take control.

“So, how do I run a pack of biker werewolves?” I asked directly.

Tyson sighed. “That’s the problem. For most of them… all they’ve ever known is brute force and violence. They’ve been kept in their place by someone stronger or tougher or more dangerous all their lives. Some of the pack are younger or newer and won’t be as hard to control, but…”

“You’re going to have trouble with the old betas,” Kira said, voice cold. “That’s Tank, Sonny, and Brick. Brick also happens to be my husband, even if I hate the bastard.”

Her husband? Wow.

I recalled the three older, rough-looking men who’d been backing the leader.

“Brick is also my father,” Tyson added.

I gaped. If my mind had actually been working at full capacity, I’d have recalled he’d called Kira his mother… which would make Brick his father. As it was, I just couldn’t reconcile the seemingly kind man before me with the brute I’d met earlier.

“The other one you’ll probably have trouble with is Ginny.” Tyson sighed. “She was Harley’s girl and had a lot of powerbecause of it. Now she’s got nothing and will probably resent you for that,” Tyson said, matter-of-factly.

“Any others?” I asked. Better to know now.

Tyson began to list off names, most of them meant nothing to me. “Bronn and Colt are loyal to me, I can bring them to our side. Rita and Brutus, my sister and brother, I can probably win over. They don’t care much for our father. Rita is a tough nut though and plays things close to the chest, so… I don’t know. Brutus would rather be a wolf, so if you let him do that, he’ll probably be fine. The Juarez family are decent people, they could be convinced to join us, I think. So too with Cassie and her kid.”

I did the math. That was at least eight, depending on how big the ‘Juarez family’ was.

But… “You didn’t include your mother in that count.” I looked at Kira. “Are you going to be trouble?”

Her hard steel-blue eyes matched my look. Then she smiled, even if it was a hard smile.

“My kids have always been everything to me.” She didn’t look away as her expression turned sour. “When I was young, I actually liked Brick and the power he possessed. I was just like him. Then I had Rita and everything changed. Brick didn’t care one bit for our kids, but I… I knew I had to protect them. Over the years, my desire to keep the kids safe drove a wedge between Brick and me. Eventually I came to see all the kids in the pack as mine. I tried to smooth over the harsh realities of our life as much as I could.”

Her jaw twitched as she looked at Tyson. There was something in that look — something I felt viscerally as a mother — a sense of failure in her sacred duty. With a deep breath, her gaze swung back at me.

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